Kilgore sales tax revenues up again

Kilgore deposited another sales tax allocation check this week that exceeded the milliondollar mark, bringing total sales tax allocations for the year to $8,474,810.72 — more than 18 percent higher than the yearto date total of $7,144,033.34 at this time last year.

Lawanna Williams, assistant financial officer to the city, was surprised again when the city received notice of the recent allocation of $1,071,387.05, which was 36.89 percent higher than the allocation in September of last year. This month marks the third time Kilgore has received a check in excess of $1 million.

Statewide, Texans paid approximately $2 billion in sales taxes in August, up 7.7 percent from last August. When the state's fiscal year ended on August 31, total sales taxes topped $21.5 billion — up more than 6.5 percent over fiscal 2007. This month the state returned almost $492 million of that to local governments.

August state sales tax revenue and September allocations to local governments represent sales taxes collected in June by businesses that report sales taxes monthly, and sales taxes collected in May, June and July by quarterly filers.

Longview received an allocation check for $2,450,985. This allocation is 23.34 percent above the allocation of $1,987,148, received this same period last year. Longview's year-to-date allocation total is $21,141,533, up 4.58 percent over year-to-date totals of $20,214,252 at this time last year.

Lakeport's sales tax rebate of $6,677 this month is 5.53 percent lower than the $7,300 received last July. Year-to-date, the city of Lakeport has received $89,382 up 49.59 percent over year-to-date totals of $59,748, from this same period last year.

For this reporting period, White Oak is up 1.33 percent above earnings this same period last year of $77,447 to $78,482 this period. Year-to-date, White Oak has received $718,544 up 1.78 percent above the year-todate total of $705,935, reported last September.

Gladewater's check this month for $90,801 is 28.99 percent above the $70,392 earned this same reporting period last year. Year to date the city of Gladewater has received $750,455 in sales tax revenue allocations, up 6.91 percent from the year-to-date total of $7.0,933 at this time last year.

Gregg County sales tax revenues are up 23.85 percent with a sales tax revenue return of $1,305,444 this period. In the same period last year, the county received $1,053,983. Year-todate sales tax revenue allocation totals for Gregg County are $10,934,274, up 5.99 percent over year-to-date totals of $10,316,133 at this time last year.

Gregg county collects sales taxes on retail sales in unincorporated areas. Rusk County does not levy a sales tax.

Henderson - where the sales tax rate is half a percent higher than in Kilgore - received a check for $422,240 up 429.61 percent above the $325,755 received during this same period last year. Henderson's year-todate allocation total is up by 10.52 percent over last year's year-to-date total of $3,322,646. Henderson's yearto date total thus far in fiscal