BY BOBBY HORN JR.
MONT BELVIEUThe Cities of Mont Belvieu and Old River-Winfree followed a state trend this past quarter that saw increases in state sales tax collections.
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, in a report issued last week, said the state took in $1.62 billion dollars in sales tax in September, a seven percent increase over September 2006.
Combs sent $443.7 million in monthly sales tax payments to Texas cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts, up 6.8 percent compared to last October. So far in 2007, local sales tax allocations are 6.9 percent higher than last year.
Growth in September sales tax collections slowed slightly, but continue to increase at a healthy rate, Combs said. Receipts from the mining, manufacturing and retail sectors continue to demonstrate the current strength of the Texas economy.
Mont Belvieu and Old River Winfree saw from the saw time period last year to this year. During the same quarter in 2006 Mont Belvieu had a net payment of $152,233.31. This past quarter it was $173,673,27 or a 14.08 percent increase. Old River Winfree saw an 8.19 percent increase from $1,701.72 to $2,233.31. Cove, however, has seen a dip, going from $4,022.71 to $3,726.79 or a 7.35 percent drop.
Dayton has seen a 6.19 percent sales tax collection with $87,915.80, up from $82, 786.32.
Both Mont Belvieu and Dayton have a 1.5 percent state sales tax, while the state sales tax for Old River Winfree and Cover is one percent.
The Chambers County Health Service District collected one-half a percent sales tax. They have a seen a .58 percent increase from $140,655.93 to $1141,474.74.
Combs sent sales tax allocations of $300.8 million to Texas cities, 6.4 percent more than October 2006. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax allocations are up 7 percent. Texas counties received October sales tax payments of $27.8 million, up 9.6 percent compared to a year ago. Calendar year-to-date, county sales tax allocations are 8.4 percent higher than last year.
The 122 special purpose taxing districts throughout Texas received $14.7 million in sales tax, up 20.2 percent compared to last October. So far this year, sales tax allocations to special purpose districts are up 17.9 percent compared to 2006.
September state sales tax collections and October allocations of local tax revenue represent sales that occurred in August and were reported to the Comptroller in September.
The Comptrollers next local sales tax allocation will be made on Friday, Nov. 9.
