FLOOD APPARENTLY HAD LITTLE IMPACT ON SALES IN COUNTY

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County's sales tax check for this month is up 4 percent over October 1992, a possible indication that the summer flooding had little impact on retail sales in the county.

"This October check is for August collections and paid to the state in September. This would have been the flood time in our county, but it's still up, even with that," explained County Auditor H. Weldon Macke.

"You could conclude from this that in the short term, the flood did not have an effect. With people being flooded across the river and in some nearby counties, you might expect some of them could not get here to shop."

Macke noted that for the year, sales tax receipts are running 7.35 percent ahead of last year, so it is possible that October receipts were down slightly over what they might have been without the flood.

"At any rate, if there was a decline, it was not significant," said Macke.

The October check was $280,138, compared with $278,197 last year and $257,872 in October 1991.

Overall for the year, Cape Girardeau County has taken in $2,890,095 from its half-cent sales tax. At this same point last year, receipts totaled $2,692,203.

Macke pointed out that the growth rate for this year is the best growth Cape Girardeau County has had in several years.

With two checks remaining, Macke is forecasting total receipts of around $3.4 million, which would be about $200,000 more than 1992.

"It will be interesting to see how these next two months come out," said the auditor. "The next two will give us a much more overall picture. Even looking at it conservatively, we should come up with $3.4 million."

Last November, receipts were $134,000, and last December, sales taxes totaled $409,000.

Macke said the sales tax growth comes at a good time, with many costs increasing.

Cape Girardeau County's current budget is based on no growth in its sales tax.

Macke noted that the county has already begun its budget process for 1994 by sending out budget request forms to about 32 agencies that receive county funds and to county officeholders and department heads.

The forms include information about what was budgeted this year and how much has been spent.

As in past years, Macke said he anticipates the county commission closely scrutinizing any requests for major capital expenditures or increased personnel.

The request forms are due in by Nov. 10. Macke will compile the request forms and then submit them to the commission to begin reviewing requests. In cases where the commission and department head or officeholder cannot agree, budget hearings will be conducted.

Macke said he anticipates Cape Girardeau County's 1994 budget will be completed before the end of the year.

In some years, the budget has not been finished until January. However, Cape Girardeau County has recently finished the process in December. No bills can be paid, by law, in 1994 until a budget is formally adopted for that year.