DALLAS – Texas sales tax revenue for September grew 1.9% over the same month last year, but local tax collections fell 0.9%, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported.
State sales tax revenues were up due to pre-payment by some businesses, a spokesman for the Comptroller’s office said.
Hegar also said that sales tax revenue for the state in September was $2.2 billion while local sales tax revenues came to $616.2 million. The figures represent revenues collected in August, tabulated in September and booked in October.
Revenues for all forms of local government were down, including cities, counties and special districts.
“The modest growth in state sales tax revenue, in line with the Biennial Revenue Estimate issued in January, continues the trend of recent months,” Hegar said. “Stronger growth in collections from the retail trade, restaurant, services and construction sectors offset declines from the oil and gas-related industries.”
In the West Texas oil banking center of Midland, sales tax revenues were down nearly 24%, the largest decline among the state’s 20 largest cities. For the year, Midland’s sales tax revenues are down 4.25%, according to the report.
In neighboring Odessa, sales taxes were down more than 6.7%, but are up 3.43% for the year.
In the energy hub of Houston, revenues were off 2.2% in September but up for the year to date at 3.44%.
In the port city of Corpus Christi that serves the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas producing region, sales tax revenues were down nearly 9% for September and are down nearly 2% for the year.
The Dallas suburb of Irving saw the largest monthly percentage increase of more than 15% and is enjoying a 9.4% increase for the year.
