COUNTY SALES TAX UP SLIGHTLY IN JULY AND AHEAD OF LAST YEAR

JACKSON - Even though Cape Girardeau County's July sales tax check increased less than a half percent over the previous July, overall for the year the county's sales tax is running 4.4 percent ahead of 1991.

Overall for the first seven months of 1992, receipts have totaled $1,872,534.19, which is $79,000 ahead of last year.

But Cape County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep, while expressing pleasure that the receipts are running ahead of last year, pointed out that $61,000 of the increase came in the June check.

Huckstep said he is concerned that the instability of the tax could be an indication that receipts could wind up being flat for the year.

"Aside from what we showed last month, we are just kind of piddling along this year," said the presiding commissioner.

"It's still in the doldrums, but it is sure better than being down for the year."

The July check was for $272,204.02, an increase of $1,275.03 over July of last year.

In July 1990, receipts for the month came to $246,567.06.

The half-cent sales tax brings in a little over $3 million annually.