Sales tax revenues to Barry County’s cities and county government dropped moderately in August, compared to a year ago.
While receipts generally held steady, the biggest city, Monett, recorded big enough dips to pull down the overall county totals.
Sales tax to all the seven cities and the county government in August totaled $1,440,328.79. That compared to $1,548,776.41, a drop of 7 percent. The sum is still over $240,000 greater than what came in during August 2021.
The seven Barry County cities collecting sales tax took in $841,026.24, a drop of 5 percent from a year ago. Only Wheaton and Washburn joined Monett in falling under last August’s totals.
Cassville continued its streak of growing revenues to 14 months in a row. Its 1 percent tax for the city’s general fund generated $116,603.34, up $805.64 from a year ago. General fund receipts for 2023 are up by more than $40,000.
Seligman broke a fourmonth slump, receiving $16,444.70 from its 1 percent general fund tax, up $3,950.31, almost enough to erase the red ink from June and July.
For 2023, Seligman’s general fund is down by less than $400. Seven months of use tax collections totaling $27,569.88 has easily made up for all of the other tax shortfalls.
Exeter broke a drop of four consecutive months as its 1 percent sales tax delivered $3,853.01 into the city’s general fund. For 2023, Exeter’s general fund is down by a little over $2,000 but almost dead even with 2021.
Purdy broke a two-month slump as its 1 percent sales tax for its general fund produced $9,009.01, up $725.37 from last August. That was an August record since Purdy dropped to collecting one tax for its general fund in 2010. Purdy’s fiscal year, begun in July, has received $15,399.98 from its general fund tax, down about $1,200, while the 2023 sum is almost even with last year at $49,782.97, down by less than $300.
Wheaton’s 1 percent general fund tax slipped for the seventh time this year, generating $6,603.11, a drop of 40 percent from last August. The sum was a bit more than double the half-cent tax, reflecting the curious pattern that continues in Wheaton where the two taxes don’t match the mathematical formula as they do in other towns.
For 2023, Wheaton’s general fund receipts are more than $20,000 under last year, while the city’s half-cent tax is down by just under $3,500. General fund receipts are still ahead of collections in August 2019.
In Washburn, where the one-cent tax predictably generates double the halfcent tax, almost to the penny, the city’s general fund tax yielded $3,631.39, down from last August by $1,135.90, or 24 percent, the biggest drop since March 2022. That placed Washburn’s general fund sum for 2023 at $3,500 ahead of last year’s pace.
Monett continues to drag county numbers in general downward. In the past six months, receipts in Monett have dropped five times when stacked against 2022, from 6 to 16 percent in the last three months alone. The city’s two sales taxes at a total of 1 percent supporting its general fund generated $219,439.96 in August, down $23,083.68, or 10 percent.
Monett’s receipts have lagged behind last year in four of the five months in the current fiscal year. The 2023 total of $1,666,328.47 is still 4 percent above the start of 2022.
Countywide taxes tumbled in line with receipts to the cities.
Barry County’s two half-cent taxes for the county’s general fund and for maintaining roads each yielded more than $266,235, a drop of $26,788.49 for the general fund tax or 9 percent. The sum was still $51,000 more than the amounts received in August 2021. It was the third drop in five months for Barry County.
Income from the old half-cent general fund tax has fallen $10,000 below last year’s pace, and the supplementary .125 percent general fund tax is down by another $1,900.
Barry County’s separate .375 percent sales tax generated $199,674.62, down $19,937.12 or 9 percent from a year ago. It was still more than $38,000 higher than two years ago. The 2023 sum to date is a little more than $8,000 under the total from last August.
