Modest Gains Mark Year’s Start for Local Sales Tax

Sales tax payments from the state to area towns were modestly higher in January, giving the year a positive start.

La Grange got nearly $220,000 for the month, up 3.4% from last January’s receipts.

Of the 25 towns tracked by the Record, January had gains for 23 of them. Only the relatively small towns of Fayetteville and Eagle Lake had declines.

A few of the towns had serious gains, including Ellinger, Shiner’s payment in January was $99,113, up by 129%, more than doubling last January’s $43,272.

Ellinger’s payment was the smallest of the seven towns in Fayette County, but it represented 31.3% more than last January.

Sealy’s January payment also was up 31.3% from last year.

Schulenburg, Fayette County’s second largest retail center, got $114,998 for the month, a 10.1% gain from last January. Flatonia was back in third place, with $41,312, up 2.0% from a year earlier.

Round Top ranked fourth, with $31,526, up 3.8% from last year, and Carmine got $12,299, a 10.4% gain.

Fayetteville had the only drop, declining 3.9%.

Nine area counties also levy the optional retail sales tax. Colorado County saw the largest gain, at 13.5%.

Fayette County received $265,995 for the first month of 2024, up 2.8% from a year earlier. Seven of the nine counties were up, while Lee and Burleson counties had declines.

Payments in January represent sales made in November and reported by merchants to the state in December. Next month’s payments, however, will likely be the biggest of the year. February payments represent sales made in December and reported in January, along with payments from quarterly and annual filers.

Asingle month seldom has much significance, but next month’s numbers could provide an indicator for the year to come.