Bastrop sales tax revenue takes small hit in September

© Ricardo Brazziell
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office will send less sales tax revenue to Bastrop this month compared to September 2019. Smithville, Elgin and Bastrop County will receive more revenue than they did during the same month last year. [RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Bastrop received $4,304 less in sales tax revenue this month compared to September 2019, according to state comptroller data.

This month the city received $691,631 in revenue, down .6% compared to the $695,935 it received in the same month last year.

Despite the negligible decline in revenue this month, the city remains 6.5% ahead in total sales tax revenue collected from January through September, compared to the same nine months in 2019. So far this year, the city has collected $6.04 million in total revenue. During the same nine months last year, the city had collected $5.67 million in total sales tax revenue, comptroller data shows.

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September revenue allocations are based on sales made in July by businesses that report tax monthly. The comptroller’s office said rising COVID-19 infections in July likely suppressed economic activity that month.

Smithville, on the other hand, like Elgin and the county, had an increase in sales tax revenue this month.

Smithville collected $48,442 in sales tax revenue this month, up 2.34%, or $1,112, compared to September 2019 when the city received $47,330.

So far this year, the city has collected $488,102, or 13.75% more than the $429,066 it had collected during the same reporting period last year, data shows.

Elgin had a massive increase in sales tax revenue this month compared to September 2019.

Elgin received $223,347 in revenue this month, up 173.5% compared to the $81,656 it collected during the same month last year.

So far this year, Elgin’s coffers have grown by 32% compared to 2019. The city has received $2.08 million in sales tax revenue thus far in 2020. During the same time period last year, Elgin had collected $1.57 million in revenue, data shows.

The county, which collects a half-penny in sales tax from every dollar spent within its borders, received $429,052 in revenue this month, up 12.9% compared to the $379,910 it collected in September 2019.

From January through September, the county has collected $3.99 million in total revenue, up 14% compared to the $3.5 million it had collected during that same period last year.

Statewide, the state comptroller’s office returned $765.3 million in sales tax allocations to cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts this month.

The allocations the comptroller’s office distributed this month represents a 4.5% decline in sales tax revenue compared to September 2019.