The end of the year and end of the quarter often give the Missouri Department of Revenue a chance to play Santa Claus with higher sales tax disbursements.

This December held few disappointments, boosting year-end numbers for Barry County, its cities and its political subdivisions, which continue to prosper from an upward spike in local sales, 2-3/4 years into the surge spurred by the COVID pandemic shutdown in travel.

The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax received $870,031.76, up 13 percent from a year ago, with only Purdy and Wheaton falling below last December’s sums.

Cassville saw a rise for the sixth consecutive month, taking in $109,266.40 from its 1 percent tax for paying general bills, up $3,913.07 from a year ago.

Seligman broke a two-month drop by receiving $12,797.19, up $1,439.22 from last December.

Washburn continued its rally with its Dollar General store, more than doubling last December’s sum by taking in $5,331.26.

Exeter came close to breaking its December record, set in 2020. That city’s 1 percent general fund tax received $2,517.51, up $628.19 from a year ago, within $173.47 of its record.

Wheaton’s sales taxes ended the year looking more normal, instead of the 1 percent generating about 1.3 times the revenue of its .5 percent tax. For the fourth consecutive month, the .5 percent tax has brought in slightly more than half of the 1 percent. Wheaton’s general fund received $4,624.31, down $7,511.14 from a year ago. In 2021, the .5 cent tax brought in a third of the 1 percent tax. This year, the .5 percent generated $2,494.01, down $1,819.51 from last December.

Purdy, which has a checkered history in December sales tax disbursements, saw collections drop to $5,322.20, down $741.22 from a year ago. Purdy’s December collections have been down in three of the last six years. The six-month fiscal year total clocked its second drop in three months for a total of $38,691.02, still ahead of last year’s pace by more than $3,600.

Monett’s two sales taxes at a total of 1 percent supporting the city’s general fund set a December record, taking in $246,399.13, up $42,227.92, or almost 21 percent, above a year ago, more than $465,000 more than the old December record from 2017. Nine months into the current fiscal year, Monett’s general fund collections continue at a record pace, receiving $1,984,100.40, almost $200,000 more than a year ago.

A separate tax going to the county emergency services boards to fund central dispatching and 911 services saw gains.

Barry County’s .375 percent tax generated $181,800.95, up $16,923.96 from a year ago, its fifth consecutive monthly gain.

Total tax numbers

The following tax amounts reflect the total amount of tax collected by each city and county, in 2022, as compared to 2021.

Cassville, which collected four taxes, took in a total of $3,093,722.51, a gain of almost 12 percent, or more than $325,000, from 2021. That’s up nearly 33 percent from pre-pandemic 2019.

Exeter, with one tax, collected $28,694.03, up 6 percent. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, revenues have risen more than $7,000, or 33 percent.

Monett, with five sales taxes, received $5,645,801.19, the second year in a row to break the $5 million mark. Also for the second year in a row, revenues rose by $400,000, this time by more than $422,000, up by 8 percent. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, revenues from the same taxes have risen by more than $1.1 million. Payments from the city’s retired sales tax to pay for building the Judicial Center continued coming in, adding another $391.05 to city coffers by year’s end, two-thirds more than the 2021 amount.

Purdy, with three taxes, collected $144,309.31, up more than $11,000, or 8 percent, from 2021. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, income has grown by only $5,220.88.

Seligman has four sales taxes and generated $319,445.61, up a very modest $2,153.68 from 2021. However, compared to pre-pandemic 2019, income is up 24 percent.

Washburn, with three taxes, received $73,011.84, up 30 percent thanks to its new Dollar General store, a big boon after revenues had dropped three years in a row. The new sum is up 23 percent from pre-pandemic 2019.

Wheaton, with two taxes, produced $121,366.09, the only Barry County city to see a sales tax revenue decline for the year as the out-of-proportion payments that seem linked to a past taxpayer catching up on overdue sums seem to be running out. The total was down $25,632.74 from 2021. The current sum was nonetheless more than double the pre-pandemic total in 2019.

Barry County, which levies three taxes, took in $6,241,973.74, up 7 percent from a year ago. The two taxes for the county’s general fund brought in $3.4 million of that, up nearly $225,000 over a year ago.

Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, revenues have risen by 29 percent.

Barry County E9-1-1, supported by a 3/8 percent sales tax, garnered $2,082,248.40 for the year, up 8 percent from a year ago. That sum is up almost $470,000 from pre-pandemic 2019.

South Barry County Ambulance District, south of Butterfield, reported receiving $1,114,161.26 from its eight-cent sales tax, an increase of 17.5 percent from 2021.

The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District collected $1,346,203.28 from its .5 percent sales tax for its territory around Monett, north to Freistatt and south to Purdy. That’s up more than $128,000 or 10.5 percent from 2021.

Sales tax collected in 2021 for all governments

City 1 percent general Compared to 2020

Cassville, $1,354,677.07, +16%

Exeter, $28,694.03, +6%

Monett, $2,495,269.01, +8%

Purdy, $72,154.84, +8%

Seligman, $141,924.08, +.5%

Washburn, $36,506.28, +30%

Wheaton, $85,887.61, -18%

Barry County (.5%), $2,775,403.64, +7%