Cassville sees income rise for 15th month

Sales tax receipts to bi-county cities and county governments at the end of the third quarter of 2023 show a new trend emerging. The COVID pandemic surge in revenues clearly stopped in April after three years. By September most county recipients saw less money coming in from local sales than a year ago.

The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax took in $861,437.75, a drop of 1 percent. Every city except for Cassville saw a decline.

Cassville continued its rising streak to 15 months in a row, taking in $128,657.83 from its 1 percent general fund sales tax. That was up $11,932.88 or 10 percent from a year ago. For the year, Cassville’s sales tax income is up by more than $53,000 or 6 percent.

Seligman held almost even with last September, as its 1 percent sales tax paying general bills produced $14,167.77, a drop of a mere $107.72 from a year ago. For the month Seligman’s four sales taxes only saw a combined drop of $242.24. Seligman’s use tax, now in its eighth month, has so far added $31,479.96 to city coffers.

Washburn saw revenues from its 1 percent general fund sales tax fall for the fourth time in five months. The tax brought in $3,729.58, down $194.34 from a year ago. Nonetheless, Washburn’s general fund sales tax sum for 2023 soared to $36,114.25, up 40 percent from a year ago thanks to its new Dollar General.

Exeter saw revenues from its 1 percent sales tax dip for the fifth time in six months. The 1 percent tax yielded $2,685.99, a drop of $1,014.90 or 27 percent from last September. For the first three quarters of 2023, sales tax income is down by 14 percent.

Wheaton’s two unpredictable sales taxes both sagged in September. The 1 percent general fund tax generated $4,991.92, a drop of $111.87 from a year ago. The .5 percent transportation tax yielded $2,272.80, down $404.16 from a year ago. Wheaton’s general fund sales tax income for 2023 is down by 29 percent, while its half-cent tax, which technically should reflect the same drop, is down 14 percent.

Sales tax receipts in Monett have been in steady decline since June. The city’s two sales taxes for the purpose of paying general bills generated $222,216.16 in September, the lowest September total since 2020, and down $13,886.76 from last September. Compared to 2022, receipts from June through September are down by 10 percent, but for 2023, Monett’s general fund revenues through September remain up by 3 percent, while the city’s other three sales taxes reflect a drop of 1 percent each.

Countywide taxes all fell for September.

Barry County’s two .5 percent sales taxes for general operations and road maintenance each brought in more than $259,407, each down more than $14,672, or 5 percent. For the year, revenues from each tax have dropped more than $22,000, or 1 percent, compared to a year ago. Year-to-date, the .5 percent taxes have garnered $4,128,771.33 total.

Barry County’s separate .375 percent sales tax supporting 911 services and general dispatching yielded $194,542.50, a drop of $10,990.14 from a year ago. That put the 2023 sum at $1,548,045.19, down 1 percent from last year’s pace.