Sales tax disbursements to Barry County cities and government bodies in March saw several rebounds and totals close to a year ago that painted a more upbeat picture as the first quarter of 2025 closed.
The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax together received $780,842.15, up 7% from last March. Cassville, Exeter and Washburn received just under totals from a year ago, while a big increase in Monett pushed the total up.
Cassville’s 1% sales tax supporting its general fund received $102,879.97, down $2,325.71 from last March. That put the 2025 sum at $335,755.87, up more than 3% from last year’s pace. Cassville’s use tax grew by 1% over the first quarter of 2024, adding more than $80,000 to city coffers.
Including the use tax, revenues from Cassville’s four sales taxes and the use tax for the quarter has risen by nearly $24,000, or almost 3%.
Seligman’s 1% sales tax pulled in $11,383.97, up $4,554.83, or 67%, from a year ago. That put Seligman’s general fund tax revenues up 16% for the year. Seligman’s use tax for the year is up 43%. Adding that total with Seligman’s four other sales taxes pushed city revenues up 20% or more than $17,000 from a year ago.
Wheaton’s two sales taxes were even more out of balance than usual in March, as the half-cent tax brought in 35% of the one-cent, instead of half. Wheaton’s 1% tax paying general bills produced $8,058.17, up $2,929.25, or 57%, from last March. That pushed totals for the 1% tax in 2025 up 11% over a year ago, while receipts from the half-cent tax were up 23%.
Exeter’s 1% general fund tax generated $1,953.42, down $23.84 from a year ago, the first dip in the calendar year. Exeter’s tally so far in 2025 is up by 30%.
Likewise, Washburn’s 1% tax yielded $3,022.92, a drop of $25.42 from last March. It was the sixth consecutive monthly drop, leaving Washburn’s general fund sum down 6% for the year.
Monett saw a big surge, as its two general fund sales taxes at 1% generated $213,514.28, up $17,376.83, or 9%, the second consecutive five-figure increase. That put Monett’s general fund tally up 3% or more than $17,000 for the cal- endar year. Combining all Monett’s sales taxes and its use tax, sales tax revenues so far in 2025 are up nearly 5%, or more than $74,000.
Countywide tax income surged on the municipal showing.
Barry County’s two .5% sales taxes supporting general bills and road maintenance each brought in $218,758, up more than $12,665, or 6%, from a year ago. With gains in two out of three months, Barry County’s general fund receipts are up 2% from a year ago. Receipts from the county’s use tax are surprisingly down more than $35,000.
The total from Barry County’s four sales taxes and its use tax for the year, totaling more than $2.6 million, is up from last year by a mere $17.36.
Barry County’s separate .375% sales tax supporting 911 and central dispatching services received $164,066.14 in March, up $9,498.10 from a year ago. That put the 2025 total up by 2% or a little more than $8,000.
