Cape Girardeau County sales tax revenue edges up over last year

Cape Girardeau County's retail sales tax figures for the first 10 months of 2008 reflect an increase of $4,681 over last year -- just eight-tenths of a percent, but county officials are smiling over it.

"We're doing much better," said Cape Girardeau County Treasurer Roger Hudson. "A lot of counties are way behind."

Scott County has collected $110,000 less for the same period this year than last year, and Bollinger County saw funds fall off by $468 to $234,606 over the same period. On Thursday, the state announced a 3.3 percent drop in sales and use tax collections, from $666.9 million through October 2007 to $645.1 million through October this year.

Hudson said Cape Girardeau County's tax revenue total benefits from retail diversity. But that's not the case for Scott County, which is heavily reliant on retail auto sales.

"As goes the auto industry, so goes Scott County," said Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger.

Scott County received $1,506,570 through the first 10 months of 2007. The figure fell to $1,396,551 this year.

Though Cape Girardeau County figures are about even with last year's receipts, income is not necessarily keeping up with this year's spending. The current budget reflects a 3.5 percent increase in costs, including payroll. Hudson said while county employees did get raises, other spending has been conservative. The sales tax accounts for about half of the county's $12 million budget; receipts for 2009 are an estimated $6.3 million.

Senior deputy auditor Virgie Koeppel, who is developing worksheets for the Cape Girardeau County Commission's budget sessions later this month, said, "It may be a little too early to start cutting budgets."

Still, the commission issued a memo last week ordering minimal spending for the rest of the year and reminding officeholders and supervisors to prioritize budget requests for 2009.

In Scott County, Burger and other county officials are campaigning to convince voters to approve a half-cent retail sales tax on February's ballot. A half-cent sales tax for law enforcement expired earlier this year.

The new tax would last eight years and raise an estimated $1.6 million annually for the county's general fund, Burger said.

Scott County officials are also offering an incentive: If the half-cent tax is approved, the county will give up its portion of personal and real estate property taxes -- which puts an estimated $388,000 into county coffers -- while the sales tax is in effect.

"I want them to look at their tax statements and see if it's a savings for them personally. If it is, I want them to vote 'yes' in February," Burger said.

Scott County Treasurer Glenda Enderle said the county has saved money by instituting a direct deposit option for payroll checks. Last year her office returned $483.53 to the county at the end of the fiscal year.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

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