GRAPHIC BY BONNIE LEESE Lometa recorded its fifth consecutive monthly sales tax gain in September and the highest percentage increase among area cities. Although Lampasas and Kempner were down for the month, they continue to show some growth over 2008. While the cities of Lampasas and Kempner were posting downturns in their sales tax payments this month, Lometa registered the highest percentage gain among area entities.

All three Lampasas County cities maintain year-to-date gains over 2008 sales tax receipts, however.

September rebates are based on July sales that were reported to the state comptroller in August by monthly business filers.

Lampasas saw its payment drop from $112,954 last September to $104,465 this period, a decline of 8 percent. Through three quarters of 2009, the city maintains $950,603 in sales tax revenue -- $10,350 or 1 percent more than it had accumulated for the same months last year.

In Kempner, the drop was more precipitous with a 27 percent decrease, but the city has collected $88,533 through September of this year for a gain of almost $1,400 or 2 percent over 2008.

For Lometa, its 40 percent jump this month marked the fifth time in 2009 it has posted the highest percentage gain among entities in Lampasas and the surrounding counties. The $4,461 check for September gives Lometa a nine-month total of $40,725 -- up 22 percent from last year.

The half-percent sales tax levied by Lampasas County resulted in a payment of $48,312 this period, representing a 6 percent decrease from the $51,591 it collected in September 2008. For the year, the county's sales tax receipts are running 2 percent ahead of last year at $435,304.

The cities of Hamilton and Evant both recorded 12 percent gains in September. Year-to-date figures show Evant maintaining an 11 percent increase over 2008, while Hamilton has fallen behind last year's total by 2 percent.

San Saba holds a 1 percent edge over 2008 with payments to date of $247,254. Its September check of $27,524 represents a 3 percent gain for the month.

Although Burnet recorded its first percentage increase in five months, the 4 percent gain marks just the second time this year the city has shown improvement in its sales tax returns. Burnet has trailed 2008 in cumulative receipts since January, but it has trimmed the deficit from 10 percent to 4 percent this period. Through nine months of the year, the city has accumulated $1.16 million in sales taxes.

Marble Falls fell 10 percent in September, and its sales tax total has trailed 2008 returns every month since March. The $4.67 million Marble Falls has collected to this point lags behind last year's $4.78 million total by about 2.5 percent.

Goldthwaite also dropped 10 percent this period. Its $20,346 check in September brings the 2009 total to $199,725 for the Mills County entity, down 1 percent for the year.

And in Coryell County, Copperas Cove and Gatesville each recorded declines for the month as well as for the year. An 8 percent drop for Gatesville in September leaves it 3 percent behind the 2008 cumulative total of $1.19 million. Copperas Cove's sales tax payment this period for $279,973 is 2 percent lower than it garnered in September 2008 and leaves the city 1 percent short of the $2.66 million it collected through three quarters of last year.

So far this year, according to the comptroller's office, sales tax allocations across Texas are down 3.3 percent compared to the same period in 2008. That means all entities in Lampasas and the neighboring counties have performed better than the average for 2009, with the exception of Burnet.