Only two cities fall short of last year’s tallies

By Murray Bishoff Special to the Cassville Democrat

Sales tax revenues soared to finish the third quarter of 2026 in Barry County. 

Six of the seven cities collecting sales tax recorded gains for the year, and the seventh fell short by only a few thousand dollars. 

The seven cities received $927,662.48 in September, up 9% from a year ago. Combining receipts within each city, only two fell short of last September’s payouts. It was the best September since 2021, setting a new record for the month. 

All the sales tax recipients received interest payments from the Missouri Department of Revenue from the first half of 2026 at the end of August. Those sums have been added into the September totals. Interest to all the cities and county recipients totaled $10,977.20. 

Cassville easily erased the nearly $6,000 drop in August receipts. The city’s 1% sales tax paying general bills generated $138,986.29 with interest, up $12,174.90 or almost 10% from last September. It was the seventh gain in nine months for Cassville. With use tax revenues up by more than $12,000, Cassville’s total tax revenues combined from its four sales taxes and its use tax are up for the year by more than $147,000 or 5%. 

Seligman’s 1% general fund tax generated $16,886.49 in September, up $4,766.51 or 39% from a year ago. It’s the fourth increase in six months. Seligman’s general fund is up 6% for the year, and the use tax is up $21,000 from last year’s pace. Not counting the 17-month-old police sales tax, Seligman’s tax income for the year is up by more than $22,000 or 7%. On top of that, the police tax has added more than $70,000 to city coffers not available in 2025. 

Purdy saw its third consecutive gain as its 1% sales tax paying general bills produced $6,329.80 with interest, up $84.53 from last September. Each of those gains has been by $200 or less. For the calendar year, Purdy’s tax receipts have grown by around 6.5%, clawing back from the 19% drop seen in the first nine months of 2025. That translates into a bit more than $6,200 in city coffers than a year ago. 

Exeter’s one% general fund tax brought in $4,396.65 with interest, up $1,390.90 or 46% from last September. For the year, Exeter’s general fund income is up by 4%. Combined with its use tax, which is up a full third from a year ago, Exeter’s tax income is up by more than $5,500 or 14% for 2026. 

Washburn’s 1% general fund tax produced $2,634.42 for the month, down $914.25 from a year ago. Compared to last September, when the State Auditor’s office suspended tax distributions for two months, income to the city is up 18%. Combining all Washburn’s sales and use taxes, overall income for 2026 is up by 20% or more than $14,000. That’s roughly the equivalent of two months of lost income if judged by last September’s performance. 

Wheaton’s 1% sales tax for its general fund yielded $6,134.48 with interest for the month. That was down $811.31 from last September, the fourth drop in five months. Wheaton’s general fund income for 2026 is down by only $140.22, less than a quarter of a%. 

However, Wheaton’s half-cent transportation tax, which brought in 48% of the 1% tax, was compared with an inexplicably low payout last September, at 12% of the 1% tax. A full amount this September boosted the transportation tax income by $1,806.79 over a year ago, leaving an overall gain for the month. Combining Wheaton’s two sales taxes and its use tax, income for the year is down by almost $3,000, the only drop among all the cities. 

Monett, the biggest sales tax generator in the county, took in $229,490.16 from its two sales taxes totaling 1% for its general fund. That was up $14,171.24 or nearly 7% over last September. Monett’s use tax was up 48% for the month, more than three times Cassville’s sum. Combining Monett’s use tax with its other five active sales taxes and two inactive taxes that received interest in September, total tax revenues to Monett for the year more than $493,000 or 10%. 

Countywide taxes showed even more growth in their receipts. 

Barry County’s two older half-cent taxes supporting general bills and road maintenance each received $280,548 with interest. That put each over last September’s totals by more than $15,987 or 6%. General fund income is up 7% for the year. Use tax for the month was up by more than $43,000 or 23%. Combining Barry County’s four sales taxes and its use tax made tax income for 2026 after three quarters up by more than $958,000, or 11%, from last year’s pace. 

Income to the Barry County Emergency Services Board’s .375% sales tax generated $210,410.94 with interest in September, up nearly $12,000 from a year ago. That put the money supporting central dispatching and 911 service ahead of last year’s pace by almost $88,000 or 5.5%.