Cape sales tax revenue up in final quarter

Cape Girardeau city sales tax revenue grew by 5.2 percent over the last quarter compared to the same time last year, city officials say.

"It appears it is trending back up," said city finance director John Richbourg.

Still, that doesn't mean the city's in great financial shape, he said. For the calendar year, sales tax revenue grew at less than half a percent, Richbourg said.

The city received sales tax checks this year totaling more than $15.3 million, city records show. The income includes $7.7 million from a general sales tax -- the major revenue source for basic city operations -- $3.75 million from a transportation sales tax used to fund road and bridge projects, and nearly $1.93 million each from water and sewer sales taxes.

The city receives a monthly check from the Missouri Department of Revenue reflecting taxes collected on sales. The checks typically reflect sales made in the prior two months, Richbourg said.

The city's December check, which reflected sales made in September and October, totaled $1.76 million, down $28,710 from the same period a year ago, financial records show.

But Richbourg said quarterly comparisons offer a more accurate financial picture than the monthly totals.

Checks for October, November and December totaled $3.97 million or nearly $200,000 more than the same period a year ago, financial records show.

Richbourg hopes that trend continues. "We could stand a year or two of growth like the last quarter," he said.

The city receives sales tax revenue from a 1-cent general tax, a half-cent transportation tax and two quarter-cent taxes -- one for the water system and the other for the sewer system.