Published: March 05, 2007 09:00 am         

Round 2 of sales tax rebates keeps Mexia, EDC in gains

The second round of checks have been sent out to cities, and the February mailouts show the City of Mexia, along with the Mexia Economic Development Corporation, to continue with increases over the same month of one year ago.

The City of Mexia received a tax sale rebate check for $282,939.77, an increase from the city’s check of $266,394.41 one year ago. So far this year, the city has received two checks from the State Comptroller’s office, and they amount to $480,230.75, up from the two-month total of a year ago. That figure was $445,571.30.

The Mexia Economic Development Corporation (EDC) gets one-fourth of what the city receives in sale tax rebates, meaning that the February funds for the EDC amounted to $70,734.94. For the two months of checks arriving in the city’s mailbox, the Mexia EDC has been recipient of $120,057.69. This comes in handy for the EDC as Executive Director Tommy Tucker seeks industry, businesses, jobs and more, to keep Mexia on a prosperous economic trail.

Elsewhere in Limestone County, Groesbeck’s latest check is for $59,400.02, a 14.58 percent increase over February of 2006, when the check was for $51,838.72. Groesbeck is also up for the year-to-date total of $98,145.49, a 17.52 percent hike. Year-to-date at this time last year, the checks totaled $83,513.16.

Coolidge’s February check was for $2,955.79, sizable drop from $4,129.52 at this time last year. Coolidge is also down from the two-month total, which is $3,452.66, compared with a year ago when it was $4,765.51.

Kosse’s latest check is for $1,589.45, down from last year at this time when the check was for $1,873.07. Kosse is slightly up for the two-month total - $4,340.31 - compared to last year’s two-month total of $4,230.81.

Thornton shows increases in both categories - a $1,645.55 February check, reflecting an increase from the $1,049.24 last year at this time. For year-to-date, Thornton has gotten $2,648.18, a 39.51 percent increase over last year’s two-month total, which showed $1,898.20.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said the state collected $1.76 billion in sales tax revenue in January, up 12.9 percent compared to January of 2006. Combs sent $609.4 million in local sales tax to Texas cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts, up 6.4 percent compared to sales tax distributions to local governments in February of 2006. “Local sales tax collections are up, but not by double digits,” Combs said. “This confirms what retailers reported earlier regarding their holiday sales. Sales were up, but not as strong as some businesses expected.”

January state sales tax collections and February’s local sales tax allocations primarily represent sales made in December, but also include earlier sales by businesses that report sales tax to the Comptroller on a quarterly or annual basis.

The Comptroller sent $414.5 million in sales tax to Texas cities, up 6.1 percent compared to February, 2006 payments. Texas counties received February sales tax payments of $35.6 million, up 6.9 percent.

In Freestone County, Fairfield shows increases in both major categories - the February check is for $221,262.69, up from the check for $199,568.29; and, Fairfield also increases on the two-month total of $348.777.04, up from the year ago total of $323,284.26.

Teague’s second check of the year is for $50.195/35, an increase over last February’s check which was for $46.838/66/ Teague is also up for year-to-date, counting $76,855.35, compared with the 2006 year-to-date total of $72,691.94.

Wortham counts $13,193.36 in its February check, a slight increase from last year at this time when it was $12,912.35. Wortham also has a slight increase in the year-to-date, $22,086, compare with last year’s two-month total of $21,564.95.