Kempner continues to post sales tax gain; other area entities drop
By GAIL LOWE Staff Writer

GRAPHIC BY ALYCIA HOOPER Although Lampasas and Lometa saw a drop this period in sales tax revenues returned to the entities, most cities in the neighboring five counties reflected solid gains for the month.

For the fifth consecutive month, the city of Kempner posted the largest percentage gain in sales taxes among all entities in Lampasas and surrounding counties.

Its check this period for $8,816 more than doubled the $4,326 Kempner received in February 2007 and represents an increase of 104 percent.

The east-end city has seen sales tax collections grow by 96 percent, 74 percent, 129 percent and 98 percent between October 2007 and January 2008. In September, Kempner's rebate was up 117 percent -- topped only by Evant's 119 percent spike in sales taxes that period.

Through two months of 2008, Kempner shows a total of $14,512 garnered for its local sales tax levy.

February payments are based on December sales reported by businesses that file monthly returns with the state comptroller, as well as fourth-quarter sales by those that file quarterly. The city of Lampasas came within $50 of the $120,197 it col- lected in February last year, a negligible 0.04 percent dip. On the year, the city holds $219,708 in sales taxes for a 2 percent increase over the comparable period in 2007.

Lometa showed a somewhat larger drop this month. Its sales tax rebate fell 4 percent in February, but the city maintains a 2 percent edge over last year's collections at $8,481.

Lampasas County, however, posted a solid gain for the period. Its February check of $54,738 represents an 11 percent increase and puts the county 13 percent ahead of its receipts at this point in 2007.

Outside Lampasas County, the only entity in the surrounding area to record a decrease for the month was Evant, with a 12 percent decline. Its neighbor Hamilton, meanwhile, boasted a 26 percent gain in February.

In Burnet County, both Burnet and Marble Falls recovered from sales tax drops in January with solid gains this period. Burnet's 11 percent gain for February gives it a two-month total of $277,110, up 6 percent this year, while Marble Falls' check for $644,485 puts the city over the $1 million mark for 2008. With $1.083 million collected thus far, it still is short of the $1.097 million it had received for the comparable period in 2007.

Goldthwaite joins Marble Falls in showing a negative payments-todate percentage. Its sales taxes remain down 2 percent -- or about $1,200 less -- than the $49,790 it had accumulated through February last year. The Mills County seat had a 9 percent gain this month, but it wasn't enough to erase the effects of an 18 percent decline in January.

In Coryell County, Copperas Cove saw sales tax revenues rise 7 percent in February, while Gatesville posted an 11 percent increase. Accumulated rebates for 2008 show Copperas Cove at $622,892 -- up 10 percent; Gatesville's total of $281,068 is 6 percent ahead of 2007 figures for the comparable period.

And the city of San Saba has put together three solid months of sales tax growth. Its 17 percent gain in February adds to the 22 percent increase it posted in January and the 42 percent jump it saw in December. On the year, San Saba has sales taxes that total $64,945, which represents a growth of 19 percent.

Across the state, the average rebate to Texas cities was up almost 5 percent in February.