With use taxes, all recipients see gains

By Murray Bishoff Special to the Cassville Democrat

Sales tax revenues to Barry County cities and county bodies showed continued growth in February, though not all the totals showed across the board increases. 

Countywide taxes showed a 4% increase. The seven cities collecting sales tax grew in part because of the seven-month-old police sales tax in Seligman. Factoring out that tax, sales tax revenues reflected a 1% drop. However, hefty growth in use taxes more than offset the dip. 

Cassville’s 1% sales tax paying general bills generated $127,841.73, up $202.53 from a year ago. All four Cassville sales taxes had a combined revenue growth of less than $500. The totals still represented a new February record. 

On top of that, Cassville’s use tax of $40,730.72 for the month was up another $17,500.35 or 75%. That put revenues for the month up nearly $18,000 or 5.5% from last February. Cassville’s general fund receipts for 2026 are up by more than $40,000 from the start of 2025. 

Seligman’s 1% sales tax paying general bills yielded $15,909.37, up $2,321.69 from a year ago. That put the general fund total for the year up by more than $3,000. The one-cent sales tax supporting police services added another $15,836.41 to city coffers. Without the new police tax, Seligman’s revenues including its use tax are up 15% for the year. With the police tax, tax income is up more than $21,000 or 55%. 

Wheaton’s 1% sales tax for its general fund received $6,53.71, up $1,557.90 from last February. Even more surprising, Wheaton’s half-cent tax was exactly half of the one-cent, a rare balancing. Wheaton’s use tax was nearly even with last February. That put receipts for the month up by more than $2,000, or 29%, from the same month a year ago. 

Purdy saw revenues from its sales taxes rise by the slightest of margins. The city’s 1% sales tax for its general fund took in $5,099.58, up $8.14 from last February. Purdy’s three sales taxes received $16.80 more than a year ago. It was the fifth consecutive month Purdy received higher tax revenues. Revenues are up by more than $2,000, or 13%, to start 2026. 

Washburn saw a similar gain. Its 1% general fund tax generated $5,213.94 in February, a gain of $204.93. Receipts from Washburn’s use tax nearly doubled from last February, putting the month’s combined increase from all its taxes up by more than $2,400, or 20%, from a year ago. 

The only town falling short in February was Exeter, whose 1% sales tax generated $3,486.60, down $1,099.95 from a year ago. However, Exeter’s use tax doubled proceeds from last February. Combining both taxes resulted in a $109.17 gain from a year ago. 

Monett, the big sales tax generator in the county, saw its two sales taxes supporting its general fund produce $225,900.25 for the month, a drop of $7,574.03 from last February. Monett’s six taxes collected a year ago showed a combined income drop of nearly $17,000 from a year ago. 

However, Monett’s use tax, which drains revenues from sales taxes, pulled in $153,103.43, up more than $56,000, or 58%, from a year ago, offsetting the monthly drop three times over. That put Monett’s combined revenues for the month up by nearly $40,000, or more than 6%. 

Countywide taxes made strong showings as well. 

Barry County’s two older half-cent sales taxes supporting the county’s general fund and road maintenance each brought in more than $255,736, up more than $11,200, or nearly 5%, from last February. Receipts from the county’s use tax skyrocketed, nearly two-and-a-half times last February’s sum. That put receipts for the month from the county’s four sales taxes and its use tax up by more than $228,000, or more than 24%, from a year ago. 

The .375% sales tax collected separately to run central dispatching and 911 services generated $191,801.74, up $8,414.98 from last February. That represented a nearly $30,000 gain for the first two months of the year over 2025.