Barry County cities and the county government sales taxes showed gains in July, making up for incremental drops in June.
The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax received $792,242.85 in July, up 3 percent from a year ago and a 2 percent drop in June. Only Purdy, Washburn and Wheaton failed to top last July’s totals, and two of those three showed only the slightest dips.
Cassville’s sales taxes seemed back on track, showing gains for the fifth consecutive month, after two drops in the preceding four months. The city’s 1 percent tax for its general fund generated $115,868.90, up $2,652.83 from last July. That put the 2024 general fund sum up by more than $42,000 over this time last year.
Cassville also took in $20,507 in July through its use tax, the lowest sum of the year so far, which has netted $181,744.93 total.
Seligman bounced back after a slight dip in June with $12,052.29 in its 1 percent tax paying general bills. That was up $2,709.83 from a year ago. The sum boosted the calendar year total by more than $5,000 above the start of 2023.
On balance, the biggest change came in Monett. The shift in funds to Monett’s use tax came last year, but once the move was made, the latest totals show no further decline. Monett’s two sales taxes for its general fund at 1 percent brought in $207,086.94, up $5,361.13 from a year ago, the second gain in three months. Monett’s general fund total for the year still lags more than $47,600 behind last year. However, seven months of use tax collections have added nearly $487,000 to city coffers, compared to less than $50,000 a year ago.
Purdy saw its receipts dip slightly. Its 1 percent sales tax paying general bills produced $6,204.67, down $186.30. Purdy’s three taxes combined saw a drop of only $373.47. For 2023, Purdy’s general fund receipts are up by more than $2,500.
Exeter’s 1 percent sales tax yielded $3,423.69, up $2,142.66 from a year ago, the fourth consecutive monthly gain. That put Exeter’s 2024 sum up by nearly $7,000 over 2023.
Washburn’s 1 percent tax received $2,714.66, down $627.14 from last July, the second drop in four months. The city’s three taxes combined were down by a total of $1,254.33. For the year, the general fund sum is down by nearly $4,000.
Wheaton’s capricious sales taxes were nearly in line in July. The 1 percent sales tax generated $4,206.38, down $1,720.36 from last July. That put the 2024 total down about $5,000 from a year ago. The city’s half-cent tax brought in 52 percent of the 1-cent tax, instead of the typical 40 percent, leaving the 2024 total at 43 percent of the 1 percent’s sum, instead of 50 percent.
Receipts for the countywide taxes surged, compared to the incremental growth for the cities.
Barry County’s two older half-cent taxes for general bills and road maintenance each took in around $244,000, each up by more than $25,600, or nearly 12 percent. Barry County’s two sales taxes for its general fund are up for the year by more than $53,500.
Barry County’s use tax, unpredictable as are all use taxes, brought in $100,000 less in July than a year ago. For the year, the county’s use tax has brought in $1,182,384.32, down more than $335,000 from the first part of 2023.
The separate .375 percent sales tax supporting 911 and central dispatching sent $182,976.77 to the county’s Emergency Services Board, up 12 percent from last July. That put the year’s sum up by more than $30,000.
