Cape Girardeau County revenue funds regress in June, except for use tax

A mixed bag of revenue news was released Thursday, June 8, by Cape Girardeau County Treasurer Roger Hudson.

Use tax funds in Cape Girardeau County rose 9% in June compared with the same month a year ago, the second time in six months the levy on online and out-of-state sales improved compared with 2022.

According to figures received from the Missouri Department of Revenue, and released Thursday by Hudson, the county took in $232,797.97 in use tax this month.

Despite June's year-over-year improvement, January through June's use tax figures of $1,498,362.13 are 4.8% behind the same period last year.

Data in both April and June 2023 seems to indicate county residents are showing more confidence in returning to patronizing bricks-and-mortar retail establishments after a significant period of online purchasing due to the now-concluded COVID-19 emergency.

In April, the use tax took in $254,020.33, 5.8% better than April 2022.

Use tax funds are earmarked for the Cape Girardeau Justice Center in Jackson, which opened in 2020.

The U.S. inflation rate is 4.9% for the 12 months ending April 2023.

Other tax funds:

• General revenue brought in $807,536.02, 8.2% lower than in June 2022. By contrast, for the first six months of the year, general sales tax is up 3.8% to $4,560,893.35.
• Law Enforcement Public Safety Tax generated $804,656.93 in June, 8.4% lower than a year ago. However, the tax has brought in $4,552,285.27 from January through June, 4% better than at the half-year mark in 2022. The levy supports the county sheriff's office and was authorized by voters in a June 2020 vote.
• Proposition One took in $807,535.87 in June, 8.2% below receipts from the same month a year earlier. Year to date, though, the tax took in 4,560,863.73, a 3.8% increase from January to June 2022. Approved by referendum in August 2006, Proposition One funds county road and bridge improvements.