Nathan Straus
CNHI
JACKSONVILLE — Despite nearly a 7.75 percent loss in sales tax allocations compared to March 2009, Jacksonville City Manager Mo Raissi said the city is still doing well compared to other similarly-sized cities.
Allocations received by the city from the state represent sales tax revenue collected in February from sales made in January.
“Our year-to-date numbers are still in single digits,” Raissi said. “Other cities are in the double digits.”
According to state comptroller statistics available at www.window.state.tx.us, Jacksonville is at $201,489.81 compared to last year’s $218,417.25. To date it has received $705,226.69, opposed to last year’s total of $777,667.76.
Rusk took a powerful spill in March, dropping 20.64 percent to land at $37,866.13 from $47,717.69. It is still up this year to date over 2009 to date by 2.18 percent; $165,174.80 compared to $161,647.61.
Rusk Chamber of Commerce President Bob Goldsberry said a few factors might have contributed to this.
“There was a big spike last year in March of about $10,000,” Goldsberry said.
He added the spike might’ve had something to do with pipeline workers in the area. Goldsberry also said it’s possible the conclusion of alcohol-related business construction products caused a portion of the gap.
Goldsberry also said in March, 2009, the city had a huge amount of prior period collections.
“These are collections from any original or amended returns whose due date was before the most recent return date, and collections of delinquent balances,” Goldsberry said.
City Manager Mike Murray said it seems as if the economy caught up with Rusk.
“This is quantifiable evidence we’re seeing it first-hand,” Murray said.
Murray also said the city hasn’t lost any major businesses recently and he assumes sales have slowed down in general.
Alto remains significantly up compared to last year. It jumped 54.67 percent to hit $9,147.73 over $5,913.98. To date it has risen 44.94 percent; $32,433.85 compared to $22,376.97.
Wells and Cuney are both down. Cuney lost 42.25 percent this month compared to this month last year at $6,022.78 to $10,429.20 and 20.7 percent this year to date compared to last year to date at $25,354.53 to $31,976.30. Wells is down 12.07 percent this month to March, 2009, at $1,492.87 to $1,697.81. To date the city is down 19.53 percent at $5,468.24 to $6,795.94.
New Summerfield is only slightly down; 3.12 percent for this month to last year’s March at $1,148.16 against $1,185.21. To date it is down 2.44 percent at $3,666.07 compared to $3,757.89.
Cherokee County lost 9.87 percent this month compared to its equivalent in 2009; $257,167.48 to $285,361.14. To date it is down 6.66 percent at $937,324.18 against $1,004,222.47.
Raissi said he believes Jacksonville has done better than most.
This month both Kilgore and Henderson are down over 25 percent compared to March, 2009. To date they are both down over 30 percent.
