Lamar Retail Sales Tax Shows July Gain

Total Sales and Use Tax collections for the City of Lamar for July was up, 2.25% or $6,031.98 compared to the same period last year.  Collections in 2013 were $276,594.60 and $273,626.58 for last month.  Regular City Sales Tax collections were down 0.62%, but coupled with Use Tax and Other Collections categories, proved enough to post a positive collection month.

It was not enough of a gain to offset the year long downturn in sales tax collections, however.  Year-to-date collections were off 6.93% for a drop of $163,425.01 compared to 2013.  Collections in 2013, YTD, were $2,356.612.14 and $2,193,187.13 for the present year.  City Sales Tax for year-to-date was down 6.87% which noted a drop by comparison of $147,430.82 to 2013 figures.

City Clerk, Linda Williams, during her monthly tax report to the city council on Monday, September 8, highlighted some category changes among the 12 retail trades breakdown for collections.  The city is attempting to determine what is causing the decline of sales in some categories, either through the manner in which the taxes are reported or through a downturn in items purchased in Lamar for the past year.  The following figures are Year-to-Date.

2012                       2013                       2014

Auto Parts/Repairs                                         88,060                   80,933                   77,800
Building Materials                                           65,658                    61,687                   58,593
Clothing/Shoes/Dept Stores                       677,990                 683,069                 631,926
C Stores/Gas Stations                                    60,370                    60,149                   58,951
All Business/Electricity                               140,825                   131,189                 122,899
Furn/Appliance/Electronics                         15,766                     14,880                   13,450
Grocery Stores                                                161,970                   157,368                145,484
Motels                                                               86,777                     88,098                  79,922
Liquor/Drinking Establishments               64,441                      63,270                  56,058
Manufacturing                                                 8,828                       32,157                    3,847
Restaurants                                                  198,602                     199,272               188,838
Other Retail/All Other                               438,361                    522,337                390,464