City Sales Tax Shows Modest Increase

Although City Sales Tax for Lamar dropped 1.86% this past July, Total Sales and Use Tax Collections were up 1.82% for a gain of $4,781 over the same month last year.  General City Sales Tax was off $4,779 for that same period, but made the gain in Use Taxes and other categories.  Total taxes collected for July 2013 was $267,594. 

Year to date collections posted gains for  General City Taxes at 2.52% and combined Total Sales and Use Tax Collections were 3.56% higher than last year, for a gain of $80,989.  Total collections, year to date, are $2,356,612, compared to 2012 of $2,275,622. 

Eight of the 12 retail trades sales tax categories, January through August 2013 have shown a decline in tax generated revenue.  The figures for the past three years are as follows: 

                                                2011                       2012                       2013 

Auto Parts                          90,572                   100,450                   92,234
Building Materials             62,695                     74,299                  71,673
Clothing/Shoes                  15,955                     16,362                   16,257
C Stores & Gas                   68,183                       69,917                  68,324
Department Stores         722,987                     743,465               745,265
Furniture/Electronics       18,882                        17,996                  16,742
Grocery Stores                194,784                      184,436                178,904
Motels                                 81,524                      105,531                104,932
Liquor Sales                        66,151                        74,148                  72,759
Manufacturing                     5,299                          7,819                  33,115
Restaurants                      217,027                     228,239                227,945
Other                                   31,680                       31,360                   33,654