State sales tax revenue remains below 2009 levels, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said last week, but the steepness of the decline is abating.
The state collected $1.46 billion in sales taxes last month. More than $394 million will be distributed to local governments in April, down 3.9% from 2009.
“For the second month in a row, the decline in sales tax collections continued to moderate,” Combs said. “Following an eight-month stretch of double-digit declines, the pace of revenue losses is slowing. We expect further declines in the near term followed by a return to sales tax revenue growth later this year.”
Sales tax allocations to local governments thorough April are 7.4% lower than last year. Cities will receive $265.7 million in April, down 3.6% from. City allocations for the calendar year are 7% lower than at this point in 2009.
Counties will receive sales tax payments of $24 million, down 7.7% from April 2009 and down 12.9% on a yearly basis. Ten local transit districts will share $88.6 million, and $15.7 million will be distributed among 164 special-purpose taxing districts.
