Jonesboro shatters all-time city sales tax collections record in September

Consumers have been spending at a record pace in Jonesboro. Northeast Arkansas’ largest city reported $1.754 million in city sales and use tax in the September report, obliterating the previous record high for the month by 11.5% ($180,343). The previous record was set last year.

The September report reflects July transactions.

For the year, the city has collected $14.971 million, a 5% ($710,945) increase from 2019, a year the city set its all-time sales tax collections record. Despite a partial shutdown from mid-March through May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the continued partial shuttering of some local businesses, sales tax collections continue to rise in the hub city.

Collections in September marked the third time this year the city collected $1.7 million or more during a month, and two months January and July each fell just a few thousand dollars shy of that mark. In previous years, the city never had more than one month, if at all, in which that mark was reached.

Officials have repeatedly warned the numbers could move erratically due to the precautions taken during the pandemic including the partial shutdown of businesses throughout the state. June was one month after the state started its phased re-opening of the economy.

Craighead County also is marching toward another county sales and use tax collection record. During the same month the county collected $2.014 million, a 14.8% ($260,000) uptick from the previous September. It marked the first time the county had collected $2 million or more in two months during a year, according to figures released by the Craighead County Treasurer’s Office.

For the year, the county has collected $16.908 million, a nearly 4% increase from 2019 – a year when the county set its all-time record for collections.