Cities, county see increase in sales tax revenue

A slight increase in sales tax collections around Cape Girardeau County so far this year is a sign the area's economy remains stable.

Both the Jackson and Cape Girardeau have seen a 1.4 percent increase in sales taxes received from January through November, compared to the same time last year.

General sales tax collected by Cape Girardeau County increased by 2 percent during the same time.

Through November, Cape Girardeau County received $5.6 million in general sales taxes and $3.3 million in Proposition 1 sales taxes, which go to fund law enforcement and road projects.

So far this year, Cape Girardeau has received $21.7 million in sales taxes, including special-use taxes for transportation, sewer, water, fire protection, parks and storm water.

Jackson has received $2.7 million in general fund and transportation sales taxes. Jackson shoppers will start paying a new quarter-cent fire protection sales tax in April. The tax, approved by voters in November, will fund operations at a proposed second fire station, as well as the city's current one. Jackson's new tax rate will be 6.750 percent. Cape Girardeau's current sales tax rate is 7.975 percent, and the tax rate in unincorporated areas of the county is 5.225 percent.

* Shopping spree winner announced: Ruby Head of Jackson won the Old Town Cape Downtown Christmas Open House $1,500 shopping spree. To enter, shoppers took tickets to participating stores during the open house Dec. 3. Head received gift certificates to be used at participating downtown businesses.

* FedEx predicts today as busiest day: FedEx Corp. expects to see its busiest day in company history when it moves almost 16 million shipments around the world today. This is a more than 12 percent increase from last year's busiest day when the company handled 14.2 million shipments.

* Counseling center receives accreditation: The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities announced that Community Counseling Center has been accredited for three years for its mental health services. The latest accreditation is the third three-year accreditation outcome that the international accrediting commission has awarded to the Community Counseling Center. It is the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization's substantial conformance to the standards established by CARF. The Community Counseling Center is a not-for-profit organization with offices in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Melissa Miller may be contacted at 388-3646 or mmiller@semissourian.com.