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Tax graph
Relaxing of widespread social distancing requirements in Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott during the month of May led to increases in July sales tax allocations for all but one Burnet County city, according to figures released by the Texas Comptroller’s Office.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $744.2 million in local sales tax allocations for July, 2.6 percent less than in July 2019. These allocations are based on sales made in May by businesses that report tax monthly.
“Widespread social distancing requirements were relaxed across much of the state in May, thus year-over-year declines were not as steep as they were last month,” Hegar said.
In June 2020, Burnet County municipalities received a combined $1,301,522.64 in sales tax revenues, an increase of 7.68 percent, or $92,839.40, above the $1,208,683.24 received during July 2019. Overall in Burnet County for the year, sales tax revenues are at $8,419,567.66, up 1.17 percent or $97,031.47 from the $8,322,536.19 received during the same time period last year.
Burnet had sales tax receipts for July 2020 go up 17.75 percent from $213,371.23 in July 2019 to $251,259.64 this month. For the year, sales tax revenue is up 8.95 percent above last year, from $1,414,650.61 at this point in 2019 to $1,541,398.43 through this year.
The greatest percentage jump in sales tax receipts for the month of July came from Bertram, which saw a 51.95 percent increase from $22,235.44 in July 2019 to $33,788.16 this month. For the year, Bertram maintains the highest percentage sales tax growth at 28.48 percent, from $166,242.59 through this point in 2019 to $213,589.86 through seven months of 2020.
Sales tax allocations for Marble Falls climbed more than 10 percent for July 2020, just one month after they had dropped more than 7.25 percent. Allocations for July 2020 for Marble
Falls were $871,544.73, up more than $80,000 above the $791,315.41 received in July 2019. Sales tax receipts make
Sales tax receipts make up the lion’s share of general fund revenues for the county’s largest city.
For the year (January through July), Marble Falls has received $5,577,465.23, up 1.20 percent from the $5,511,190.84 received during the same period last year.
Sales tax receipts for Horseshoe Bay were down 38.35 percent for July 2020 — the only Burnet County city to see a decrease in allocation. This month, the city, which straddles the Burnet and Llano county line, received just $82,701.92, compared to the $134,147.66 received in July 2019.
The continued decrease in allocations comes after the worst month for HSB sales tax collection in a year of marked decline for the city. For the year, sales tax revenues in HSB are down 19.85 percent, from $929,907.63 in 2019 to $745,279.76 this year. In seven months for 2020, the city has received less than it got in the first six months of 2019.
Granite Shoals saw sales tax revenues rise by 37.93 percent from $29,020.21 in July 2019 to $40,028.36 this July. For the year, sales tax revenues are up a robust 18.85 percent, from $191,090.49 to $227,116.39.
Cottonwood Shores saw an increase of 19.39 percent in July 2020, up from $18,593.29 to $22,199.83. For the year, sales tax revenues are up 4.80 percent from $109,454.03 in 2019 to $114,717.99 through the same point this year.
Three cities in Burnet County — Marble Falls, Burnet and Granite Shoals — collect the maximum allowable sales tax rate of two percent, while Bertram and Horseshoe Bay collect 1.75 percent and Cottonwood Shores collects 1.5 percent.
