Off the charts
Sales tax rebates climb dramatically in September for area communities
By GAIL LOWE Staff Writer

GRAPHIC BY ALYCIA HOOPER This month's sales tax allocations marked stellar returns for area entities. Evant and Kempner showed triple-digit percentage gains, with most other neighboring cities posting double-digit increases in September. Off the charts

After rather lackluster sales tax rebates for most of 2007, Lampasas County entities and cities in the surrounding counties turned in some of their best returns this period.

Kempner and Evant posted gains of 117 percent and 119 percent, respectively, in September as they more than doubled the rebates earned for the same time frame last year. Lometa showed the next-best percentage increase with its 34 percent gain for the month.

Lampasas County had a 23 percent increase for September, while the city of Lampasas was up 15 percent -- its best monthly gain since October 2006.

September's allocations include local sales taxes collected in July and reported to the comptroller's office in August by businesses that file monthly with the state. Across Texas, the average increase this period was 9 percent.

Through the first three quarters of 2007, the city of Lampasas has received $905,112 in sales tax rebates -- up 2 percent from the $883,145 it garnered to this point last year.

Lometa and Kempner show double-digit gains for the year. Lometa is running 12 percent ahead of 2006, with receipts of $32,513, while Kempner's ninemonth total of $37,408 represents a 16 percent increase.

Lampasas County's half-percent sales tax has totaled $371,998 in 2007, for a yearly gain of almost 9 percent.

Only Burnet and Hamilton have collected less in sales taxes this year than they did last year to date. Both are running 1 percent short of their 2006 totals. Revenues for Burnet have topped the $1 million mark already at $1.13 million, while the 2007 accumulated payments for the city of Hamilton stand at $286,860.

Marble Falls has the largest ninemonth total at $4.7 million. That represents an 8 percent gain on the year for the nearby city. This year's total for Copperas Cove comes in second, with $2.4 million in sales tax revenue through September -- an increase of 3 percent over 2006.

Gatesville boasts a 6 percent gain for the year, with payments to date of $1.12 million.

In Goldthwaite, the increase for 2007 is 5 percent, while in San Saba the city's coffers show a more modest 1 percent edge over last year's sales tax accumulations through September.

Evant, in Hamilton County, continues to outpace entities in the surrounding area with its year-to-date percentage gain of 31 percent. The city holds $13,233 in sales tax payments, compared to the $10,127 mark it set at this point in 2006.