Longview sales tax revenue drops; Lakeport’s December share doubles compared to year ago

Longview, TX (Longview News-Journal) — Sales tax collections in Longview were down more than 4 percent from a year ago during December, the state reported Wednesday.

But collections more than doubled in Lakeport during the first month the small Gregg County town’s retailers were allowed to sell beer and wine. Lakeport voters in November approved propositions to allow the sale alcoholic beverages with those sales beginning in late December.

City of Lakeport officials were not available for comment on the revenue jump. The city is receiving $12,000 in sales tax revenues for the month compared to $5,100 a year ago.

Longview City Manager David Willard said Longview’s 4.16 percent decline in sales tax revenues from a year ago translates into about $97,200 less going into city coffers.

“Looking at the fiscal year as a whole though, we are still on track to meet budget,” Willard said Wednesday. For the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, Longview budgeted an overall 1 percent decrease in sales tax revenue as compared to previous year collections.

“Looking at the total sales tax collections so far this fiscal year, we are down less than 1 percent as compared to the same periods last year,” he said. For the October through February period of the fiscal year, city sales tax revenue is down 0.82 percent, Willard said.

“The city of Longview will continue to watch the sales tax revenues closely,” he said.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said Wednesday that state sales tax revenue statewide was $2.12 billion, up 6.1 percent compared to a year ago.

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