Jonesboro, Craighead County Sales Tax Revenues Rise

With the start of the Major League Baseball season Monday, the city of Jonesboro and Craighead County hit a proverbial home run as both saw their sales tax numbers go up dramatically for the second month in a row.

The city of Jonesboro’s one-cent sales tax brought in $1,245,746 in sales tax revenues in March, while Craighead County’s one-cent sales tax collected $1,364,807.

The city numbers – based on actual figures from January – were up 13.52%, compared to the same month in 2014; while the county saw a nearly 12% spike.

In February, the numbers were also up.

The county’s sales tax revenues had a 4% increase, bringing in nearly $1.9 million, while the city’s sales tax brought in close to $3.1 million.

There has also been a 10.38% increase for the city and a 10.75% increase for the county in the first quarter of the year, compared to 2014 numbers.

As for the March numbers, both Jonesboro finance director Ben Barylske and Craighead County Treasurer Terry McNatt attributed the increases to a variety of things.

Barylske said a shorter winter break for ASU students brought students back to Jonesboro, while a relatively good winter and low gas prices opened up the wallets.

The lower gas prices, about a dollar less per gallon than in 2014, helped create more disposable income, Barlyske said.

McNatt agreed with Barylske on the lower gas prices translating to more disposable income, but said there has also been a concerted effort to try to get residents to buy locally.

“The message is getting preached (to buy locally) instead of buying on Amazon.com,” McNatt said.

Barylske said Jonesboro businesses have also drawn customers from throughout Northeast Arkansas. Typically, businesses in Jonesboro draw customers from Clay, Greene, Mississippi, Poinsett and Cross counties, as well as some counties in southeast Missouri.

Anecdotally, Barylske said he knows of businesses that have drawn customers from as far away as Batesville and Cave City.

McNatt said he was “very pleased” with the numbers and that the increases have turned into somewhat of a trend in the county.

Also, infrastructure plays a key role, Barylske said, noting Jonesboro is surrounded in all four directions by either four-lane or five-lane highways.