Sales Tax Revenue Lower For Most of County’s Towns

After setting record highs for sales tax revenue last year, Fayette County towns are finding it’s hard to keep up such a pace.

Five of the county’s seven towns have collected less revenue in 2024 than they did in the same period of 2023.

La Grange, for example, is down 6.3% from last year’s historic high. On the other hand, its $877,696 through April far exceeds this period’s income for any previous year.

Much the same is true for other towns in the county.

In addition to the county’s seven towns, Fayette County itself levies the optional retail sales tax. The good news for the county is that it’s received more than a million dollars so far this year. The bad news is that a year ago, it had taken in $1.1 million. Nine of the 25 cities tracked by the Record are running behind last year’s sales tax pace. That ranges from Bellville being down just one-tenth of 1% to Fayetteville being down 25.4%.

A few area towns have had spectacular increases.

Hempstead jumped from $758,350 at this time last year to $2.1 million this year. Shiner more than doubled from last year’s $179,703 to this year’s $370,750. Such big jumps often are the result of one-time events or corrections by the state, however.

Carmine bucked the trend of most Fayette County towns through April. Its $55,473 for four months is up 23.6% from last year. Round Top also is up slightly from last year, 3.5%. Ellinger is also barely up, with a 1.1% gain.

Among the larger cities in the region, Bastrop, at $4.1 million, is up 4.7% compared to last year. Brenham, at $3.3 million is up 8.5%. La Grange and most other towns levy a 1.5% local sales tax, while counties have a rate of onehalf a percent.