Cattle Country gives Gonzales sales tax bump as expected

The inaugural Cattle Country Music Festival, held in April, definitely had an impact on sales tax allocations for Gonzales, which received its biggest-ever June check this month.

Sales tax allocations were up in both of Gonzales County’s two largest municipalities for June, but dropped in the county’s two smallest cities, according to figures released by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office.

Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.1 billion in local sales tax allocations for June, 6.8 percent more than in June 2023.

These allocations are based on sales made in April by businesses that report tax monthly.

Combined sales tax allocations for the month of June 2024 for all four municipalities were $312,053.23 — up $15,251.07 or 5.14 percent above the $296,802.16 received in June 2023.

For the year, Gonzales County municipalities have received a combined total of $1,814,943.18, down $59,608.65 or 3.12 percent from the $1,874,551.83 received as of this point last year.

Sales tax allocations for June 2024 for Gonzales, the largest city in the county which generates the lion’s share of sales tax revenue, were $267,448.81, up 7.52 percent or $18,712.98 from the $248,735.83 the city received last June.

It was the best sales tax allocation for June in Gonzales history, eclipsing the previous record of $259,564.17 set in 2022 and appeared to a bump received in large part due to the music festival, which spanned the second weekend of April and brought thousands of people out to hear artists like Eric Church, Koe Wetzel, Whiskey Myers, Tanya Tucker and more.

For the year, the city has received $1,537,195.55, still down 2.85 percent or $45,252.68 from the $1,582,448.23 Gonzales had received at this point in 2023.

Sales tax receipts were also up for Nixon, which received $31,354.22, up $281.14 or 0.9 percent more than the $31,073.08 received in June 2023. For the year, the city has received $196,255.85, 2.05 percent or $4,127.39 less than the $200,383.24 received through this time last year.

Waelder received a total of $10,848.44, a decrease of $1,019.27, or 8.58 percent, below the $11,867.71 received in June 2023.

For the year, Waelder has received a total of $61,041.91, down 14.7 percent or $10,527.17 less than the $71,569.08 the city had received through this time last year — a year in which Waelder received an all-time high in sales tax allocations.

Finally, Smiley’s sales tax receipts were $2,401.76, down $2,723.78 or 53.14 percent from the $5,125.54 received in June 2023.

For the year, Smiley is the only city in the black, having received $20,449.87, or 1.48 percent more than the $20,151.28 received through the first six months of 2023.

Three cities in Gonzales County — Gonzales, Nixon and Waelder — collect a 1.5 percent sales tax rate, while Smiley collects a 1 percent sales tax, but is considering asking voters to adopt a 1.5 percent sales tax rate.

Gonzales County itself also receives a 0.5 percent sales and use tax and for the month of June 2024, the county received $240,187.49, or 9.71 percent more than the $218,923.50 received in June 2023. For the year, the county has received $1,674,910.50, or 30.83 percent more than the $1,280,192.55 received through this point last year.