For the second month in a row, only the second time this year, sales tax receipts for Barry County in July slipped below totals received by its cities and county governments.

Totals nonetheless held very close to a year ago as the bloom of the pandemic surge fades with normal shopping habits and travel resuming. Still, last July’s receipts reflected record highs, up 5 percent from 2021 for the cities, showing local shopping and the revenues it generates have stayed strong.

The seven Barry County cities collecting sales taxes received $770,082.65, down 4 percent from a year ago. Cassville, Washburn and Wheaton all topped totals from last July.

None of these fluctuations appear to have impacted Cassville, whose sales tax income rose for the 13th consecutive month. Cassville’s 1 percent general fund took in $113,216.07, up $989.25 from a year ago and within $6,000 of the July record from 2015. That put Cassville’s 2023 and fiscal year sum at $742,371.58, over $40,000, or nearly 6 percent, ahead of last year.

In contrast, Seligman saw receipts from its 1 percent general fund tax fall for the fourth consecutive month. That tax yielded $9,342.46, down $3,019.08, or nearly 25 percent,

Purdy’s 1 percent tax that pays general bills generated $6,390.97 in July, down one-third or $1,926.20 from a year ago, the July record. The sum was still the second highest start for Purdy’s new fiscal year in the last four years. For 2023, Purdy’s receipts are down by a little over $1,000.

Wheaton, with its taxes returning to their odd pattern of the 1 percent tax generating more than double of the city’s .5 percent tax, received $5,926.74 for its general fund. That was up $2,996.69 from a year ago, the first increase since last December. That consistent lower rate has left Wheaton’s 2023 sum below 2022 by more than $16,000, or off by 30 percent.

Washburn made up most of the drops in its general fund in May and June by taking in $3,341.83, up $492.15 from last July. Those gains bounced Washburn’s 1 percent tax revenues up by more than $4,000, compared to a year ago.

Exeter saw revenues from its 1 percent general fund tax run downward for the fourth consecutive month, but barely, as the tax yielded $2,1181.03, a drop of $16.68 from last July. For the year, Exeter’s sales tax income is down by about $2,700.

The real drag on Barry County’s receipts has coming from Monett, where tax income dropped for the third time in four months. Monett’s two sales taxes for the general fund totaling 1 percent generated $201,725.81, down $12,555.42, or 6 percent, from a year ago. Monett’s five active sales taxes showed a drop of more than $27,000 from last July.

Combined, Monett’s five active sales taxes showed a drop of more than $27,000 from last July. However, Monett’s new use tax, in only its second month of collections, brought in $35,248.73, more than erasing all that July red ink. So for in 2023, Monett’s general fund tax receipts are up nearly $86,000 over last year, not counting the use tax.

Countywide taxes did not follow municipal trends. Barry County’s two older .5 percent sales taxes for paying general bills and supporting road maintenance each generated $218,291, showing gains of around $4,000, or about 2 percent, for each over last July. After the big drop in June receipts, Barry County’s general fund tax has again topped last year’s pace, up by more than $17,000.

The separate taxes supporting 911 and central dispatching services went the opposite direction.

Barry County’s .375 percent tax brought in $163,697.88, down $10,218.71, the third decline in four months. The 2023 sum is nevertheless ahead of 2022 by more than $11,000, or 1 percent.