BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's sales tax receipts dropped again in the most recent monthly report, continuing a trend seen throughout the year.
"Like a roller-coaster. It's up and it's down, then it's up and it's down," Mike Crandall, accounting manager, said of the sales tax reports.
The county received $649,139 in August, a decrease from the same month in 2013 when the county received $656,853, Crandall said. Sales tax revenue received by the county in August is from sales tax that was collected in June.
The county remains ahead of 2013, but just barely, Crandall said. The county received $7,295,870 in 2013, and budgeted for $7.3 million in revenue for 2014, Crandall said.
"Even though it's slightly down this month we're still ahead of last year by $70,729," he said. "We're still on track to make our target, our projected revenue amount for the year."
Washington County's receipts for the month showed a small increase. Bobby Hill, chief deputy treasurer, said the county showed a 4.4 percent increase in its August 2014 report compared with the same month in 2013. Washington County received $541,398 this year and $517,562 in the same month in 2013, Hill said. Washington County budgeted for an increase in sales tax revenue this year of about 1.8 percent, Hill said. For the year-to-date, the county is running ahead of last year by 1.85 percent, Hill said.
"We're getting real close," Hill said.
Washington County's tax receipts haven't fluctuated as much as Benton County's, Hill said. Washington County receipts were down in February and March, but have been ahead of last year in every other month. In Benton County, sales tax receipts were up in January then down in February and March. Benton County receipts were up again in April and May, then down in June before rising in July and dropping again in August.
Several Benton County justices of the peace noted city tax receipts have shown a similar tendency to fluctuate.
"It kind of does that these days," Kurt Moore of District 13, said of the changing figures. "Ever since they went to the streamlined tax collection some months you're up and some months you're down."
As long as the county remains on pace or ahead of the rate needed to meet its budgeted revenue Moore said he won't be too concerned.
"I'm definitely not in a panic mode," he said. "If we went on a three-month trend about it going down I might be more concerned."
Tom Allen of District 4 and chairman of the Finance Committee, echoed Moore's observations.
"We projected it to be flat," Allen said. "As long as it's up I'm OK with that."
NW News on 08/28/2014