Central Texas cities continue to post solid economic growth, as all entities in Lampasas and the surrounding counties show sales tax gains over 2007, and all except San Saba recorded increases for the month of August.

As it has for eight consecutive months, the city of Kempner had the highest percentage gain in the area. Its 166 percent jump this period marked the sixth time in 2008 the east Lampasas County entity notched a triple-digit increase. Its August rebate of $12,198 quite easily topped the $4,583 Kempner garnered for the same month last year and gives the city $72,374 in total sales tax receipts -- up 134 percent for 2008.

August payments to cities are based on local sales made in June and reported to the state comptroller's office in July by businesses that file monthly, plus sales taxes collected in April, May and June by quarterly filers.

Across the state, sales tax rebates this month were up an average of 8 percent compared to August 2007.

The city of Lampasas garnered $116,124 this period, up 7 percent. Sales tax revenue for the year stands at $827,298, a gain of 4 percent over last year for the comparable months.

Lometa posted a 10 percent increase in August. Its check for $4,642 gives the city a $30,323 total through eight months, about $2,000 or 7 percent above the $28,307 mark it held in 2007.

And Lampasas County coffers saw the addition of $53,998 in sales tax receipts this month.

That 22 percent gain is the fourth one this year above 20 percent and leaves the county with a 17 percent cumulative gain for 2008.

In Coryell County, both Copperas Cove and Gatesville had increases of 15 percent in August. Through eight months of the year, the sales tax total stands at $2.37 million for Copperas Cove and $1.06 million for Gatesville, gains of 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively.

The city of Hamilton posted a significant 18 percent jump for the month, and its year-to-date sales taxes of $296,148 maintain a 16 percent advantage over 2007 receipts. Neighbor Evant recorded an 8 percent increase in August and holds a solid 23 percent gain for the year.

The allocation this period to Burnet also represents an 8 percent increase. It has topped the $1 million mark in payments to date with an eight-month sales tax total of $1,080,191.

And in Marble Falls, which collected the largest rebate check among neighboring cities at $624,236, the 2008 total has climbed to $4.23 million to edge last year's receipts by 1 percent.

Goldthwaite received an August payment of $25,060 for a 3 percent gain this period. Its sales taxes for the year are up 5 percent over 2007, with $179,164 reported thus far for the Mills County city.

In San Saba, back-to-back decreases in July and August have been small -- down 4 percent last month and just 1 percent this month -- so the year's cumulative statistics haven't suffered much. San Saba's sales tax total through August stands at $218,838 for a 9 percent gain over last year's $200,293.

GRAPHIC BY RANDAL McGAVOCK Only San Saba recorded decreased sales tax revenue this month, compared to August 2007 receipts. And Kempner registered another triple-digit percentage gain with a 166 percent jump this period, its sixth such increase in 2008.