Sales tax revenues to Barry County cities and the county government dipped slightly in November, ending Cassville’s 16-month streak of gains.
Overall, however, income rose because of higher collections from the county’s newer law enforcement sales tax.
The seven cities and countywide taxes yielded $1,514,146.16 in November, up more than 17 percent from a year ago. However, factoring out the law enforcement sales tax that was only in its second month of collections a year ago, total receipts actually dropped by $755.90.
The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax saw revenues reach $719,850.91, down 7 percent from a year ago, with three cities seeing drops.
Cassville saw its streak of 16 consecutive months of increases end, as its 1 percent tax for paying general bills brought in $95,057.54, down marginally by $464.87 from a year ago. That put Cassville’s calendar and fiscal year total up by over $95,000 from this time a year ago.
Seligman, after seeing its 1 percent general fund fall six times in seven months, saw a reprieve as that tax produced $11,648.51, up by $594.03 from a year ago. That improved Seligman’s calendar year sum to a drop of a little more than $2,000 under last year’s pace.
Purdy’s 1 percent sales tax for paying its general bills brought in $5,298.99 in November, down $245.82 from a year ago. That was the third drop in five months of the current fiscal year. For 2023, Purdy’s general fund income is down from last year by less than $700.
Washburn nearly doubled receipts from its 1 percent general fund tax, taking in $4,282.79, up $2,015.59 from last November. Washburn’s revenues are up almost $12,000, or 38 percent better, than a year ago.
Likewise, Exeter saw its 1 percent general fund tax generate $3,768.13, more than double the sum that came in a year ago for a new November record. That brought Exeter’s total to within $234.74 of last year’s pace.
Wheaton saw revenues from its erratic 1 percent sales tax rise for the second consecutive month, bringing in $5,971.04 for the general fund, up $1,238.46 from a year ago. The 1 percent tax was almost double the .5 percent tax, showing the two taxes in closer alignment than they have been for some time. For 2023, Wheaton’s general fund revenues are down by more than $18,000.
After a one month respite, Monett returned to its fivemonth streak of declining general fund revenues. Its two sales taxes supporting the city’s general fund at 1 percent generated $221,072.11, down $3,246.90 from a year ago, compared against a record November. The city’s other three active taxes saw revenues drop at a much steeper pace. For 2023, Monett’s general fund revenues are up by more than $84,000.
Countywide taxes all saw big gains.
Barry County’s two older .5 percent sales taxes supporting general bills and road maintenance each generated $244,640, up by more than $24,287, or 11 percent, from a year ago. That raised sums from those taxes to over last year’s pace by more than $14,000. The .5 percent law enforcement sales tax produced $243,858.82, more than $225,000 above second-month collections a year ago. That tax has brought in more than $2.5 million in 2023.
Barry County’s separate .375 percent tax supporting central dispatching and 911 services produced $183,475.45, up $18,256.30 from a year ago. The 2023 total from that tax is up by more than $10,000.
