After a lackluster showing in July and a big drop in Barry County municipal receipts in June, sales tax income to bi-county government entities rebounded with big numbers in August, reasserting the general upward trend since seen the start of the COVID pandemic discouraged travel.
On top of that, the Missouri Department of Revenue at the end of the month sent out six months worth of interest collected on sales tax deposits between monthly distributions. The $1,333.69 in interest sent to 13 cities and two county governments reflected very low interest rates. Interest has been added into the monthly totals reported here.
The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax took in $890,084.12 in August, up 27 percent from a year ago. Exeter and Seligman fell short of last August’s totals.
Cassville’s 1 percent general fund tax generated $115,797.70 with interest, up $22,751.48, or 24 percent, from a year ago. It was the second consecutive increase over the same month a year ago after two months of consecutive drops. Big gains for 2022 have given Cassville’s general fund more than $173,000 ahead of last year’s pace.
Seligman’s 1 percent general fund sales tax brought in more than $12,000 for the fifth consecutive month. However, the $12,494.39 received with interest fell $472.28 short of last August. For 2022, Seligman’s general fund has taken in about $400 less than a year ago.
Wheaton’s 1 percent sales tax broke $10,000 for the second time this year, receiving $11,080.65 with interest, up $5,896.40 or more than double last August’s sum. Wheaton’s .5 percent transportation tax brought in nearly half that amount, unlike its usual pattern. Wheaton’s general fund is up more than $13,000 from a year ago.
Washburn received its largest sum since February on its 1 percent general fund sales tax. The $4,767.29 received with interest was up $1,265.89 or 36 percent, compared to last August. For the year, Washburn’s sales tax revenues are up more than $9,000, or nearly 46 percent, with sales from the town’s new Dollar General store. Exeter’s 1 percent sales tax for its general fund topped $3,000 for only the second time this year, but the amount was still $581.76 short of last August. The drop broke a two-month streak of gains. For 2022, Exeter’s receipts for the general fund are up by nearly $2,000. Purdy’s 1 percent sales tax mustered a feat unseen since the city dropped to one tax supporting its general fund in 2010. For the second month in a row, receipts topped $8,000. The sum of $8,283.64, with interest, was up $1,692.22, nearly 26 percent. That hadn’t happened since December 2009 and January 2010.
The total gave Purdy $16,600.89 after two months of its new fiscal year, more than $4,000 ahead of last year’s pace. For 2022, Purdy’s general fund receipts are up by nearly $6,000. Even though Monett bucked the downward trend in July, August tax revenues hit an all-time high of $242,523.64 with the extra interest. That was up $56,560.87 from the old record set last August, up 30 percent. It was the third consecutive month of gains over last year’s pace. The sum bumped Monett’s fivemonth fiscal year total for its general fund up to $1,092,416.34, up nearly $125,000 above this time a year ago.
For 2022, Monett’s general fund has received more than $113,000 above what came in by last August.
Countywide taxes made equal strides in generating revenue.
Barry County’s two .5 percent taxes for its general fund and maintaining roads and bridges each produced $293,024 with interest, each up more than $77,842.36, or 36 percent, from a year ago. The two taxes collecting money for the county’s general fund have produced nearly $205,000 more this year than through last August.
The .375 percent tax in Barry County brought in $219,611.74 with interest, up $58,284.62 from last August. That put 2022 collections ahead of last year by more than $128,000.
