Sales tax revenue was up this month in three of the four large Northwest Arkansas cities compared with the same period last year.
Rogers had a 5.5 percent increase in sales tax received. Fayetteville was up 4.9 percent, Springdale was up slightly, at 0.3 percent, and Bentonville was down over last year by 3.3 percent.
Sales Tax Revenue
The state remits sales taxes collected in August to cities in October. The following amounts are 1 percent of sales tax that feeds into general funds.
City20142015*Percent change
Bella Vista$144,624$139,324*-3.7
Bentonville$930,011$899,054*-3.3
Fayetteville$1,654,728$1,735,389*+4.9
Lowell$249,215$215,164*-13.7
Rogers$1,274,634$1,344,790*+5.5
Siloam Springs$269,270$277,446*+3.0
Springdale$1,042,895$1,046,213*+0.3
Source: Staff Report
The state remits sales taxes collected in August to cities in October. For purposes of this report, 1 percent of sales tax is tracked that feeds into general funds.
Permits, licensing and revenue are all up in Rogers -- indicating residential growth, said Casey Wilhelm, director of finance.
"When your 'people' go up, your sales tax goes up," Wilhelm said.
Rogers' October sales tax revenue hit $1,344,790 this year compared to $1,274,634 last year, a difference of $70,156 or 5.5 percent.
Wilhelm said she's budgeting about a 5 percent increase for 2016 compared to what she planned for 2015. The city's sales tax revenue is tracking to hit $15.7 million before the year is out, Wilhelm said.
Sales tax revenue received from January to October grew from $12,396,246 in Rogers last year to $13,324,221, a 7.5 percent increase., this year.
Because the figures represent sales tax collected in August, Paul Becker, finance director for Fayetteville, associated his city's increase with back-to-school shopping and students returning to the University of Arkansas.
Fayetteville brought in $1,735,389 in sales tax this October compared to $1,654,728 last year, a difference of $80,661 or 4.9 percent.
Sales tax revenue received from January to October grew from $15,186,001 last year to $16,257,616, a 7.1 percent increase, this year in Fayetteville.
Becker said he was happy with the monthly increase of 4.9 percent, although it is lower than some of the other month to month comparisons this year.
"That's not normal," Becker said of 7 and 10 percent month to month increases that have shown up for cities this year.
Both he and Wilhelm said they expect consumer spending to stabilize soon.
The Rogers and Fayetteville numbers move in tandem because they both represent retail shopping, Becker pointed out.
Springdale's lower percentage point increase was because of the city's corresponding high point last year, said Wyman Morgan, financial services director.
Springdale brought in $1,046,213 in sales tax this October compared to $1,042,895 last year, a difference of $3,318 or 0.3 percent. The city has been experiencing an upswing after a period of dropping revenue.
"This is the closest we've come to a negative so we're happy with that," Morgan said.
Springdale spending is typically stable because people are buying household staples, he said.
Sales tax revenue received in Springdale from January to October grew from $9,370,363 last year to $10,318,290, a 10.1 percent increase, this year
Bentonville showed a negative number. The city brought in $899,054 in sales tax in October compared to $930,011 last year, a decrease of $30,957 or 3.3 percent.
Bentonville is often affected by sales rebates used by large businesses.
Still, sales tax revenues received from January to October grew from $8,219,314 last year to $8,933,631, an 8.7 percent increase, during the same period this year.
NW News on 10/24/2015