Published: December 06, 2006 03:35 pm         

Mexia goes over $2 million in sales tax rebates

Spurred by a check of $189,709 for September, the City of Mexia swept past the two-million dollar mark in sales tax rebates for the year.

City Manager Kyle McCain had previously noted a big portion of the rebate checks coming into Mexia can be attributed to sales at Wal-Mart Supercenter. It’s no secret that if it weren’t for the Wal-Mart connection, Mexia city coffers would suffer - either some services would have to be discontinued or taxes would have to be raised considerably, or both.

The October check compares with $158,404.22 last September, which means the increase is 19.76 percent. For the year-to-date total, the City of Mexia counts among its blessings $2,030,071.26, a 13.33 percent increase over the total at this time a year ago. That total was $1,791,206.42.

Elsewhere in Limestone County, Groesbeck showed a slight increase in October checks, $34,952.23 compared with $32,777.51 in 2005. For the year, Groesbeck is up to $409,813.99to $363,530.21 a year ago.

Coolidge’s latest check is for $735.62, a 37.78 percent drop from last October when the total was $1,182.35. Coolidge, however, is up for the year, to $18,700.09, compared with last year’s amount of $15,686.62.

Kosse shows increases in both categories - $2,699.20 compared to last October’s $1,687.68, and year-to-date, for which the amount is $19,781.45, to $13,175.93 at this time a year ago.

Thornton also shows increases in the two major categories - latest check is $953.82, over last October’s amount of $317.67, and for year-to-date, the City of Thornton has $9,369.35 in its account. This compares with the cumulative total of $7,512.39 in 2005.

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In Freestone County, Fairfield’s October check is for $160,424.15, an increase from last year at this time when it was for $151,602.65. Fairfield is also up to $1,498,968.11 for year-to-date, over last year’s total of $1,159,267.49.

Teague counts $23,821.58 in the latest check, down from the $26,405.62 a year ago. Teague also shows a drop to $314,706.74 from last year’s total of $375,240.91.

Wortham welcomes a check for $8,090.07, down from $10,858.24 one year ago. Nevertheless, the City of Wortham increases for year-to-date to $89,954.72, from 2005 when cumulative totals showed $83,407.35.

The state took in $1.51 billion dollars in sales tax in September, a 13.7 percent increase over September, 2005. Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn sent $415.5 million in monthly sales tax payments to Texas cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts, up 14.3 percent compared to last October. So far in 2006, local sales tax allocations are 14.7 percent ahead of last year.

September state sales tax collections and October allocations of local tax revenue represent sales that occurred in August. The sales tax growth reflects the overall strength of the Texas economy. The increase in tax revenue is due in part to August’s three-day Sales Tax Holiday that annually packs stores with Texans and out-of-state shoppers who splurge on taxable items along with tax-free clothing and shoes.

Strayhorn sent sales tax allocations of $282.6 million to Texas cities, 14.4 percent more than in October of 2005. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax allocations are up 14.2 percent. Texas counties received October sales tax payments of $25.4, up 17.6 percent compared to a year ago. Calendar year-to-date, county sales tax allocations are 16.5 percent higher than last year.