East Bernard has gain in sales taxes
By CHRIS BARBEE cbarbee@journal-spectator.com

Wharton County's three incorporated cities, and the county, all received their final local sales tax rebate checks recently from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.

Wharton and El Campo both had about the same local sales tax rebate results as in 2006, but East Bernard had a huge gain over last year.

The state collected $1.8 billion in sales tax in November, up 9.5 percent compared to November 2006, allowing the comptroller to send local governments $447.3 million in December sales tax allocations, up 10.8 percent compared to last December.

Combs sent Texas cities December sales tax allocations of $300 million, up 9.9 percent compared to December 2006. City sales tax allocations during calendar year 2007 totaled $3.8 billion, up 6.9 percent compared to 2006.

Wharton, which like El Campo has a 1.5 percent local sales tax, banked $134,371 this month, down $21,428, or 13.75 percent, from Dec. 2006's $155,799. The county seat broke even for the year, however, receiving $1,958,264 in 2007, down only $284 from the $1,958,548 collected in 2006.

East Bernard's 1.25 percent local sales tax helped it along to the best gain in the county this year. That city was sent $21,980 this month, a 41.17 percent increase of $6,411 over last December's $15,569. For the year, East Bernard collected $264,018, a 15.09 percent increase of $34,625 over last year's $229,393.

El Campo did just slightly better in December, and for the 12 months ending this month, than in 2006. The city received $208,662 this month, a 0.68 percent gain of $1,420 over the $207,242 received last December.

For the 12-month period ending this month, El Campo received $3,758 more this year than in 2006. The city was rebated $2,612,431 this year, a 0.14 percent increase over 2006's $2,608,673.

The state comptroller sent Texas counties that levy a sales tax $338.9 million during calendar year 2007, up 8.4 percent compared to last year. Wharton County, which collects a onehalf percent local sales tax, fell short of that, but still had a comfortable increase of almost 4 percent.

Wharton County was rebated $189,375 this month, an 8.88 percent increase of $15,456 over December 2006's $173,919. The county's final tally for 2007 was $2,236,242, a 3.85 percent gain of $83,104 over 2006's $2,153,138.

"The final sales tax allocation of 2007 brings total local sales tax allocations for the calendar year to $5.6 billion, surpassing last year's local sales tax revenue by 6.9 percent, despite a slowing economy," Combs said.

State sales tax collections through the first three months of fiscal 2008 are up 6.6 percent compared to the same period last year, Combs said.

"Growth is substantially slower than the vigorous 12 percent and 10.9 percent seen in fiscal 2006 and 2007, respectively. As the pace of the U.S. and Texas economies continues to cool, we expect the growth in Texas sales tax collections will continue to moderate," Combs said.

The next local sales tax allocation will be made Jan.11.