Record high set for monthly sales tax payment
Trinity Standard , June 2007

TRINITY – After dipping slightly in both March and April, sales tax income for Trinity soared in May, hitting a new all-time high.
According to a report issued by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, Trinity’s May check totaled $172,499.41, a figure that was up by 57.6 percent or $63,053.99 from the amount received in May 2006.
The latest payment also is up by 18.4 percent or $26,783.21 from the previous monthly record of $145,716.20 received in August 2006.
The latest increase comes on the heels of March’s $33,274.60 payment, which was down by 1.5 percent and April’s $29,914.88 check, which was down by 21.4 percent when compared to 2006 payments.
Since Jan. 1, the two percent sales tax has generated $438,674.70, a figure that is up by 35.6 percent or $115,037.04 from the same January to May period of 2006.
The city sales tax is collected from merchants along with the state sales tax by Combs’ office and then returned to local government in a monthly rebate check. The May check represents taxes collected by local merchants in March and reported to the comptroller in April. It also includes January, February and March tax collections reported by merchants who file only quarterly reports with Combs.
In her report, Combs said the state received $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue, which was up by 10.3 percent compared to one year ago.
“Sales tax revenue continues to show steady growth,” the comptroller said. “This is true at both the state and local levels, and it indicates that our Texas economy is in good health.”
Combs sent May sales tax allocations of $372.6 million to Texas cities, up 8.1 percent from May 2006. So far this calendar year, city sales tax allocations are up 7.4 percent compared to the same five month period of 2006.
Texas counties received $32.1 million in rebate checks, up 10.9 percent compared to one year ago. Since Jan. 1, county rebate payments have increased by 8.9 percent over the same period of last year.
Trinity County is among the state’s counties which do not assess a sales tax.
While the May check received by Trinity is the fifth of 2006, it is the eighth collected under the city’s new fiscal year 2007 budget, which went into effect on Oct. 1, 2006.
Since the current budget went into effect, Trinity’s sales tax rebates have totaled $617,305 – a figure that is up by $128,900.38 or 26.4 percent from the $488,404.562 received during the same period of FY 2006.
Under state law, one quarter of the local 2 percent sales tax revenue -- $43,124.85 in May -- is earmarked for economic development and is paid to the Trinity Economic Development Corporation (TEDC). The remaining 75 percent -- or $129,374.56 in May -- goes into the City of Trinity’s general fund to support the operation of city services.
Since the start of the fiscal year, the TEDC has received $154,326.25 while the city’s general fund has collected $462,978.75. Both figures represent a 26.4 percent increase over collections during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
The city’s share represents about 77.5 percent of the $597,422 it projected would be collected under the FY 2007 budget.
In addition to Trinity, one other Trinity County city collects a sales tax.
Groveton, which also assesses a 2 percent tax, received a May check for $16,812.83. This total is down by $741.96 or 4.2 percent from the $8,058.79 received in May 2006.
Since Jan. 1, Groveton has collected $58,606.89 in sales tax income, a figure that is down by $3,488.59 or 5.6 percent from the $62,095.48 collected during the first five months of 2006.
In the latest report, Houston received the state’s largest check for $42.9 million, which was up by 4.5 percent from the $41 million delivered one year ago.
The $22.7 million issued to Dallas in May reflects a 5 percent increase from the $21.6 million received one year earlier.
San Antonio’s sales tax allocation was $20.2 million, which was up by 5.5 percent from the $19.1 million received one year ago.
The Austin sales tax allocation for May was $14.1 million, which was up by 13.1 percent from the $12.5 million received one year earlier.
Other East Texas cities which received May rebates:
• Huntsville received a payment of $629,479.56, which was up by 8.5 percent from May 2006. Since the start of the year, the city has received $2.5 million, which is up by 4.9 percent from the same period last year.
• Riverside received a payment of $7.885.18, which was down by 2.1 percent from the May 2005 payment of $8,053.30. Since the start of the year, the city has received $29,939.65, which is up by 6.3 percent from the same period last year.
• Crockett received a payment of $151,943.16, which was up by 17.5 percent from the $129,315,21 received one year ago. Since the start of the year, the city has received almost $620,073.64, which is up by 12.9 percent from the same period last year.
• Lovelady received a payment of $3,346.52, which was up by 38.3 percent from the May 2006 payment of $2,420.11. Since the start of the year, the city has received $11,054.44, which is up by 0.4 percent from the same period last year.
• Onalaska received a payment of $38,966.09, which was up by 5.1 percent from the $37,078.21 collected one year ago. Since the start of the year, the city has received $130,161.40, which is up by 1.9 percent from the same period last year.
• Livingston received a payment of $323,554.03, which was up by 18.6 percent from the $272,892.24 collected one year ago. Since the start of the year, the city has received almost $1.3 million, which is up by 4 percent from the same period last year.
• Coldspring received a payment of $17,560.53, which was up by 9.8 percent from the May 2006 payment of $15,988.44. Since the start of the year, the city has received $68,738.94, which is up by 9.9 percent from the same period last year.