For the fourth month this year, the city of Kempner posted the largest percentage gain in sales tax receipts among cities in the six-county region for which the Dispatch Record maintains statistics.

Figures released by the state comptroller’s office show Kempner with a 20 percent increase in June and a 21 percent overall gain for the first half of 2010, compared to the same months of 2009.

The east Lampasas County city garnered a check for $11,941 this period, which brings its year-todate sales tax total to $63,923.

In the two months this year that Kempner did not record the largest gain -- January and April -- the distinction went to another Lampasas County city, Lometa. Lometa, however, joined Marble Falls as the only two area entities to show sales tax declines in June.

Lometa’s dip this period was a small one, though, as its $3,740 rebate fell just $30 shy of the $3,770 it collected in June 2009. Lometa has a six-month sales tax total of $27,151 this year.

June payments are based on local sales that occurred in April.

The city of Lampasas recorded a 6 percent increase in June, as its sales taxes amounted to $103,364 for the period. Through the first six months of 2010, Lampasas has received $636,104, topping last year’s sales taxes for the comparable months by a little over 1 percent.

Lampasas County coffers show solid gains, as the county posted a 9 percent increase in June. Its sales tax allocation of $48,312 gives it a six-month total of $303,274 -- up almost 7 percent from 2009 figures.

Evant continues to see sales tax growth. Its June payment of $1,556 translated into a 15 percent gain for the Hamilton County city. For 2010 thus far, Evant maintains sales taxes of $11,751 for a 7 percent increase over last year.

The city of Hamilton had a much smaller gain in June -- 2 percent -- and it still trails 2009 payments by 3 percent through the first two quarters, with a total of $205,586 for the year.

Coryell County cities Copperas Cove and Gatesville both recorded 5 percent increases this month. They maintain similar gains in year-to-date sales taxes, although their total accumulations are quite different.

Copperas Cove holds revenues of $1.84 million through June, a 5 percent increase; Gatesville is up 4 percent in 2010 with a total of $799,487.

In Burnet County, Marble Falls and the city of Burnet continue to lag behind 2009 sales tax totals, although Burnet did see a 5 percent gain this period. Marble Falls posted a 2 percent decline in June.

Year-to-date payments to Burnet -- $744,680 through the first half of 2010 -- trail those of the previous year by 1 percent, while the Marble Falls accumulation of $2.87 million is down 5 percent from 2009 levels.

Although San Saba saw its sales tax rebate jump 10 percent in June, the city has seen some disappointing months earlier this year. Its 2010 sales tax total of $162,246 is $420 short of last year’s comparable payments, giving San Saba a 0.25 percent decline for the first half of the year.

In Goldthwaite, this month’s check for $19,769 is only about $150 more than it collected in June 2009. On the year, however, the Mills County seat shows its sales tax revenues are running 5 percent ahead with a six-month total of $137,569.

Of the statewide economic outlook, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs expressed some optimism based on recent sales tax figures.

“Total sales tax collections have met or exceeded year ago levels for a second month in a row, following 14 months of decline,” she said. “This may indicate that a bottom has been reached.”