By Andy Sevilla
Hays County’s corridor cities all experienced positive sales tax growth this month, with Buda taking a near 40 percent hike in its collections, and Kyle growing its receipts by 33 percent.
The Texas Comptroller’s Office returned $435,000 to Buda for its sales tax collections this month, marking a 38.74 percent hike over the city’s June collection last year, according to the state agency’s recently released data.
During the same reporting period last year, Buda collected $313,500.
So far this year, Buda has received $2.43 million in sales tax revenues, a near 20 percent jump over its collections during the same period in 2013, the data showed.
Kyle, which experienced 33.81 percent positive growth this month over the same month last year, received $405,000 in June sales tax revenues, the comptroller’s office reported. In the same month last year, Kyle received $302,700.
From January through June, Kyle has collected $2.36 million in sales tax revenues, an 18.55 percent hike over the $1.99 million it collected during the same six months last year.
The county’s largest and southernmost corridor city grew by a smaller percentage when compared to Kyle and Buda. And with 17.55 percent sales tax growth this month over the same period last year, San Marcos received the highest actual dollar amount than any other Hays County city.
The comptroller’s office returned $2 million to San Marcos this month. In June last year, the city received $1.678 million.
Largely heralded by the outlet malls, so far this year San Marcos has received $12.3 million in sales tax revenues. During the same six months last year, San Marcos received $11.78 million.
Like San Marcos, Wimberley experienced 17.42 percentage growth this month. Wimberley collected $50,900 this month, the data showed. Last year’s June brought Wimberley $43,300.
So far this year, Wimberley has received $335,000, 7.8 percent more than its $310,600 collection during the same time period last year.
Dripping Springs and Uhland kept in line with the percentage growth experienced in Buda and Kyle.
Dripping Springs collected $152,800 in sales tax revenue this month, a 33.14 percent hike over its $114,800 collection in June last year, according to state comptroller data.
Dripping Springs has received $750,760 in sales tax revenues from January through this month, marking a 12.66 percent increase over its $666,350 it received during the same time frame last year.
Uhland in far east Hays County grew by 35.77 percent in sales tax collection this month over the same month last year. Uhland received $9,300 in sales tax revenue this month, while in June last year Uhland took in $6,800.
So far this year, Uhland has received close to $50,000, marking a 48.53 percent hike over its $33,200 collection during the same six months last year.
Meanwhile its neighbor to the northeast, Niederwald, took in less sales tax revenue this month when compared to June last year.
The comptroller’s office returned $1,630 to Niederwald this month, a decrease of 5.4 percent when compared to its $1,724 collection in June 2013.
Niederwald has collected about $500 more from January through June this year — $10,498 — over its collections during the same six months last year.
Sales in unincorporated areas yielded $1.2 million in sales tax revenues for Hays County this month, a 22.3 percent jump over its near $1 million collection during the same period last year.
So far this year, Hays County has received $7.1 million, up 7.94 percent from the $6.6 million it collected during the same six months last year.
Statewide, sales tax growth was visible across all major economic sectors, the comptroller’s office reported.
“The growth was led by the retail and wholesale trade sectors, the oil and natural gas mining sector, and the services sector,” Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said in a statement. “This marks the 50th consecutive month of increased sales tax revenues, and brings the fiscal year-to-date growth to 5.4 percent.”
Combs will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts statewide $621.5 million in June sales tax collections, up 11.6 percent over the same month last year. By Andy Sevilla
