Use taxes widely off from pace a year ago

By Murray Bishoff Special to the Cassville Democrat

For the third month in a row, sales tax revenues to cities in Barry and Lawrence counties have gone in opposing directions. 

Barry County’s seven cities saw a revenue increase of 6%, with six out of seven towns seeing gains. Lawrence County’s six cities saw a 5% drop, with only one city topping last April’s receipts. Add in all the use taxes, including the county’s, and Barry County’s revenues on the same taxes collected a year ago actually dropped by half a percent. Lawrence County’s fell by 9%. For counties that once paralleled each other’s economies, the separate patterns seem to be widening.

Cassville’s taxes performed slightly better than a year ago. The city’s 1% general fund tax generated $103,629.55, up $315.95 from last April, the fourth consecutive increase. Use tax revenues, paralleling a trend seen in Lawrence County, dropped by more than $8,000, or 22%. Cassville’s general fund income is nonetheless up by more than $40,000. 

Seligman, following Cassville’s lead, hung close to last April’s numbers. The city’s 1% general fund tax produced $11,640.07, up $607.66 from a year ago. Seligman’s use tax, however, skyrocketed, nearly quadrupling last April’s total. Seligman’s general fund revenues are up by nearly $4,000. With the use tax, the same taxes collected last year have boosted Seligman’s income for the year by more than $27,000. Seligman’s new 1% tax for law enforcement has added another $50,600 to city coffers on top of that. 

Wheaton had its strongest sales tax month this year as the city’s 1% general fund tax yielded $7,748.25, up $1,691.68 from last April, the second gain this year. That put Wheaton’s general fund a bit more than $370 higher than the start of 2025. Wheaton’s half-cent transportation tax generated only 40% of the 1-cent tax. Wheaton’s use tax in April was half the amount from a year ago, making the city’s total revenues so far this year down a little over $900 with all taxes combined for four months. 

Purdy’s sales taxes continue to hold very close to last year’s numbers. The city’s 1% general fund sales tax received $4,591.23 in April, up $621.05 from last April. In the last three months, the difference between this year and last has been less than $700. General fund income this year is up by a bit more than $1,600. 

Washburn’s sales taxes have followed a similar pattern. The city’s 1% tax brought in $3,128.03 in April, down $320.19 from a year ago. Even though Washburn’s use tax income was down 40% for the month, total tax income with the three sales taxes and the use tax for the year varies by less than $2,800, with less received in 2026. 

Exeter’s 1% sales tax saw its second gain in two months, taking in $2,183.09, up $404.17 from a year ago. Exeter’s use tax, however, was down by a little more than that amount. Income for the two taxes so far in 2026 is down by almost $1,400. 

Monett, with most of its shopping district in Barry County, saw its two sales taxes totaling 1% supporting the city’s general fund generated $209,258.53, up $16,057.83, or 8%, the second increase this year. Monett’s use tax took in a little over $10,000 more than last April. Monett’s general fund income for the year is up by nearly $34,000. Revenue from all of Monett’s five sales taxes and use tax for 2026 is up by almost $290,000, or 13%. 

Barry County’s countywide taxes supporting government services also remained surprisingly close. The county’s two older half-cent taxes for general operations and road maintenance each yielded around $215,394, both up by $210 and some change for the month. Again, the county’s use tax proved to be the wildcard in April, dropping nearly $60,000, or 24%. Barry County’s general fund total for the year is still up by more than $46,700, or 5%. Total income from all Barry County’s four sales taxes and use tax is up by 3.5%. 

The separate .375% sales tax supporting central dispatching and 911 services for the county took in $161,546.36 in April, up $161 from a year ago. For the year, that tax has brought in a bit more than $35,000 ahead of last year.