Sales tax revenues to Barry County cities and the county government entities rallied for the eighth consecutive month, showing the boost in local shopping inspired by the pandemic shutdown that started in receipts from May of 2020 still has resilience.
Since then, total sales tax revenues for Barry County municipal recipients has dropped only four times in 37 months, compared to the previous year.
The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax took in $721,053.75, a rise of 8 percent from a year ago. The two biggest cities, Cassville and Monett, generated enough gains to carry the rise despite the other cities seeing a drop in receipts.
Cassville continued a 10-month streak by receiving $97,090.13 in its general fund from its 1 percent tax. That was up $3,155.73, or 3 percent, from a year ago. Cassville’s fiscal/calendar year sum rose to $513,900.14, up more than $34,000, or 7 percent, from the start of 2022.
Monett broke out of a twomonth slump with its two sales taxes collected at 1 percent delivering $196,543.98 into the city’s general fund, up $25,097.78, or nearly 15 percent. That set Monett’s new fiscal year total after two months at a record of $399,090.29, more than $20,000 above last year’s record pace, and the 2023 total after five months up by nearly 16 percent from a year ago.
Receipts in Seligman fell for the third time in four months. The city’s 1 percent general fund tax delivered $10,937 into city coffers, down $2,202.43 from last May. That put the 2023 sum below last year by a mere $137.90. On the plus side, Seligman’s use tax, now in its fourth month of collections, added $1,885.06 to the total, for a total of $12,271.63 more over its course to date.
Purdy’s 1 percent sales tax supporting its general fund produced $5,680.86, up $622.97 from a year ago. That was the fourth increase in five months, pushing Purdy’s general fund to an 11-month record high of $69,815.86, topping the 2019 record. For 2023, Purdy has outpaced last year by more than $3,600.
Wheaton’s tax collections seem to have reverted to their former unpredictability, with the city’s 1 percent tax producing almost 1.5 times the amount of the half-cent tax. Wheaton’s general fund received $6,733.54, a drop of $3,249.73 or nearly a third from last May. For the year, Wheaton’s general fund receipts have fallen by nearly $15,000.
Washburn saw its 1 percent general fund tax drop for the first time in 15 months. The city’s 1 percent tax paying general bills brought in $3,116.43, down $857.18 from a year ago. For the year, Washburn’s receipts have risen by more than $4,000.
Exeter saw its third drop in five months, taking in $1,4298.46, a drop of $1,617.19 from last May. That a drop of more than $1,700, or 16 percent, from last year’s pace.
Countywide taxes pulled the reverse of April’s showing.
Barry County’s two .5 percent sales taxes for its general fund and maintaining roads each generated $210,203, both up by more than $2,435. So far in 2023, both taxes have produced over $50,000 more than in 2022.
The separate sales taxes going directly to the county emergency services board to pay for 911 and central dispatching services also saw gains. Barry County’s .375 percent sales tax brought in $157,632.20, up $815.40 from a year ago. That put the 2023 sum ahead of last year by more than $36,000.
