Fort Smith, regional tax collections ahead of 2011

Fort Smith sales tax collections declined in the city’s July report, with citywide collections up just 0.53% and the city’s portion of a countywide tax down 0.84%.

Each of the city’s 1% sales taxes (1% for streets and 1% for water and sewer projects) collected $1.672 million in the July report, up 0.53% from the same period in 2011. The collections were up 1.1% compared to budget estimates. (Because the state of Arkansas has a two-month delay in reporting collections back to the cities, the city of Fort Smith — for budgeting purposes — has historically reflected the collections on a one-month delay. Which is to say, the tax collections remitted to cities in August are from taxes collected in June and transferred by merchants to the state in July.)

The July report follows a healthy increase of 4.23% increase in the June report.

For the Jan.-July reporting period, each of the city’s 1% sales taxes collected $11.685 million, up 3.41% compared to the 2011 period and 4% above budget forecasts.

Collections in 2011 of the two 1% taxes totaled $38.683 million, ahead of the $37.229 million during 2010 and ending a two-year decline in tax collections.

Fort Smith’s share of the county 1% sales tax in the July report is $1.282 million, down 0.84% compared to July 2011. The decline follows a June report in which collections were up 6.95%. The collection during July was down 1.51% compared to the revenue estimate.

For the first seven months of 2012, the countywide tax has generated $9.118 million for Fort Smith, up 3.02% compared to 2011 and up 2.32% compared to budget forecasts.

The countywide tax collection is critical because the revenue is a little more than 40% of the city’s general budget of roughly $42 million. A majority of the general fund budget general supports fire, police and other critical city functions.

Sebastian County sales tax collections during the first half of 2012 totaled $14.198 million, compared to $13.843 million during the same period in 2011, according to figures from the Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration.

Greenwood sales tax collections during the first half of 2012 were $972,457, a gain over the $936,549 in the 2011 period.

CRAWFORD COUNTY
Sales tax collections in Crawford County for the first six months of 2012 total $3.128 million, up 1.65% compared to the same 2011 period.

Alma collections during the first six months were $1.149 million, ahead of the $1.11 million during the 2011 period. Collections for the first half of 2012 in Van Buren were $1.767 million, down 1% compared to the $1.785 million collected in the 2011 period.

FRANKLIN, LOGAN COUNTIES
Sales tax collections in Franklin County during the first half of 2012 totaled $1.332 million, an improvement over the $1.264 million during the 2011 period. Ozark sales tax collections were $435,304 during the first half of 2012, just ahead of the $431,534 during the 2011 period.

Logan County government collected $827,958 in sales tax collections during the first half of 2012, down 12.5% compared to the 2011 period. Booneville sales tax collections during the first six months totaled $536,828, down slightly from the $542,867 in the 2011 period.

PREVIOUS ANNUAL COLLECTION INFO
2% sales tax collection (1% for streets; 1% for water/sewer bonds)
2011: $38.683 million
2010: $37.229 million
2009: $37.554 million
2008: $41.226 million
2007: $37.858 million
2006: $36.840 million

Fort Smith portion of 1% countywide sales tax
2011: $15.15 million
2010: $14.89 million
2009: $15.04 million
2008: $16.61 million
2007: $15.15 million
2006: $14.71 million

PROPERTY TAX (ad valorem) REVENUE
2011: $11.458 million
2010: $11.105 million
2009: $10.092 million
2008: $9.381 million

FRANCHISE FEE REVENUE (with % comparison to previous year)
2011: $6.571 million (1.23%)
2010: $6.492 million (8.37%)
2009: $5.99 million (-18.68%)
2008: $7.366 million (8.97%)
2007: $6.76 million (-8.72%)
2006: $7.406 million (8.38%)

REGIONAL TAX COLLECTION HISTORY (with selected cities in each county)

Crawford County
2011: $6.248 million
2010: $6.258 million

Alma
2011: $2.257 million
2010: $2.252 million

Van Buren
2011: $3.613 million

2010: $3.568 million

Franklin County
2011: $2.644 million
2010: $2.54 million

Charleston
2011: $311,754
2010: $299,901

Ozark
2011: $886,531
2010: $863,211

Logan County
2011: $1.991 million
2010: $1.8 million

Booneville
2011: $1.064 million
2010: $890,097

Paris
2011: $319,759
2010: $288,350

Sebastian County
2011: $28.619 million
2010: $27.605 million

Greenwood
2011: $1.914 million
2010: $1.863 million

Mansfield
2011: $363,919
2010: $395,912