Sales tax income for cities in Northwest Arkansas held steady in April.
Bentonville had the highest percentage increase in the region. The city's take was up 4.2 percent, from $809,610 received in April 2014 to $843,828 this month, a difference of $34,218.
City 20142015Percent change
Bella Vista141,148150,593*+6.7
Bentonville$809,610$843,828*+ 4.2 percent
Fayetteville$1,456,641$1,459,355*+.2percent
Lowell$238,218$199,215*-16.37 percent
Rogers$1,147,799$1,171,077*+2.0 percent
Springdale$896,105$914,548*+ 2.1 percent
Siloam Springs$247,988$257,331*+3.8 percent
Source: Staff report
"I'll take consistent growth," said Denise Land, finance director.
For the purpose of this report, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette tracks the 1 percent of sales tax going into general funds. Each city, with the exception of Bella Vista, collects 2 percent sales tax. Each city except Bella Vista also devotes 1 percent to repaying bonds.
Land said she budgeted for $800,000 a month in sales tax receipts. Corporations making business purchases have three months from the date of purchase to request sales tax rebates. In Bentonville those have come through in bulk in the past.
"It's been a little more consistent this year," Land said.
The city is up overall for the year. From January through April last year sales tax receipts were $3,145,188. This year they were $3,384,636, a difference of $239,448, or 7.6 percent.
Sales tax the cities received from the state in April was collected in February.
Springdale, which has led the region in sales tax growth for months, cooled somewhat this month with a 2.1 percent increase. The city took in $896,105 in sales tax in April 2014 and $914,548 in April 2015, a difference of $18,443.
Comparing April 2014 to April 2015, Washington County was down as whole, said Wyman Morgan, financial services director.
His calculation of an April to April year shows the city is up $1.3 million in the past year, or 12.5 percent, he said.
A comparison of sales tax from January to April of this year versus last year shows $3,397,212 in sales tax through April 2014 compared to $3,822,423 during the same period this year. It was also a 12.5 percent increase of $425,211.
The region held its own in April, said Casey Wilhelm, director of finance for Rogers.
"No one had a decrease, which is really good," Wilhelm said.
Rogers had a 2 percent increase between April 2014 when the city brought in $1,147,799 in sales tax and this April, when the city brought in $1,171,077. The $23,278 difference isn't a huge amount of growth, but there were no large retail openings that would cause a large jump, Wilhelm said.
The city will add a few large new stores this year and events at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion and other regional events will boost sales tax receipts, she said.
"I think it will hold," she said of the increase.
Sales tax was virtually unchanged in Fayetteville with a 0.2 percent increase. There is a $2,714 difference between last April's receipts of $1,456,641 and this April's $1,459,355.
Paul Becker, finance director for Fayetteville, pointed to the difference between this February's near-shut down in weather and the warmer weather and strong sales of February 2014. He was anticipating soft sales in this February and said he was satisfied with the 0.2 percent increase.
"I think it did pretty well considering the weather issues we had," Becker said.
An average of sales tax receipts so far in the calendar year shows growth for the city. Through April 2014, the city had received $5,958,860 in sales tax, but through April 2015 that number was $6,375,432, up $416,572, or 7 percent.
NW News on 04/24/2015