COUNTY OFFICIAL SURPRISED BY LATEST SALES TAX RECEIPTS

JACKSON - Auditor H. Weldon Macke, who has kept a watchful eye on Cape Girardeau County's sales tax receipts since a half-cent tax was approved by voters 14 years ago, was concerned that November's check would be down.

Macke believed the effects of the summer river flooding might eventually take a toll on retail sales in the county. Since November's check reflects mainly September sales, collected by the state in October, the auditor was prepared for the worst.

Instead, he got a pleasant surprise: The November check reflected a 33 percent jump over the same month last year and was the biggest monthly check Cape County has received since implementing its sales tax.

"I was anxious to see this because this reflects flood time," said Macke. "But what this check shows is that bad sales effects from the flood really didn't materialize and hurt us. It really didn't hurt at all."

This month's check was for $162,613, which is far above last year's November check of $121,875 and the November 1991 check of $134,900, which had been the record check for the month.

Overall for 1993, Cape County's sales tax receipts are running 8.48 percent ahead of last year. Collections have totaled $3,052,708 for the 11 months of the year, an increase of $238,629.

December's check, which also will include sales tax receipts from merchants who pay quarterly, will be a large one, which will leave the county with a record collection for 1993.

Last December the county collected $409,000, and Macke believes it could be as much as $450,000 this year. If sales go extremely well, the auditor believes there is an outside shot of having a December check that is the largest monthly check ever for the county. The current record was established in September, when $456,000 was received.

After years of growth in sales taxes, in 1991 total receipts were just a few dollars over the previous year, causing some alarm for county officials. But last year the tax rebounded with a growth rate of 5.08 percent.

Macke is hoping if this year's growth finishes up around 8-9 percent, Cape County will be back in the trend of the mid 1980s.

"It's kind of like old times," said Macke. "We just hope it keeps up."

Cape County's only taxes for the general fund budget comes from the sales tax. The property tax was abolished by the county commission a dozen years ago.