Tax revenue down in May, June

RBC | Local government entities are having to tighten their budgetary belts just like the rest of us, as sales and use tax dollars continue a downward trend compared to last year’s highs.
For the month of May 2009, the town of Meeker reported a 21 percent decrease compared to 2008, from $126,133 to $99,590. The town of Rangely reported $85,175 in sales and use tax revenue for May 2009, a 9.6 percent decrease from 2008’s $94,270. Rio Blanco County reported a 4 percent drop in revenue, from $578,122 in 2008 to $555,312 in May 2009. Combined, the three county entities experienced a reduction of 7.3 percent in May 2009 compared to May 2008, from $798,525 to $740,077.
In June, the town of Meeker was the only county entity to report an increase in sales and use tax revenue, climbing 9.6 percent from the 2008 amount. the town reported $171,536 for June, compared to $156,409 during the same period last year. The town of Rangely reported $92,925 in June 2009, a 30 percent reduction from 2008’s $133,342. The county also reported a substantial decrease for June’s numbers, from $878,107 in 2008 to $540,056 in 2009, a 38.5 percent drop. Overall, the three entities had a 31 percent decrease in sales and use tax revenue for June 2009 compared to June 2008.
Sales and use tax receipts include collected taxes for retail sales, motor vehicle use tax and building materials use tax. Rio Blanco County Sales and Use Tax Administrator Debbie Morlan said these numbers are unaudited and subject to change.