Float Fest sinker: Sales tax allocation sees drop one year after big event

It looks like 2022’s Float Fest, which was held in Gonzales last July, did provide a nice bump to local sales taxes after all, according to figures received from Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office.

Sales tax allocations for Gonzales for September 2023 dropped by more than 4.7 percent below the amount the city received for September 2022 — a decrease of nearly $12,000.

Nixon also saw its sales tax allocations drop for this month as they took in 15.2 percent less than the previous September. However, Smiley and Waelder both saw significant gains in sales tax allocations as Waelder’s sales tax collections crossed the $100,000 threshhold for the first-time ever.

Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.1 billion in local sales tax allocations for September, 3.4 percent more than in September 2022.

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

For the month of August 2023, Gonzales County municipalities received a combined $290,008.70 in sales tax allocations, down some $8,821.98 or 2.95 percent below the $298,830.68 received during September 2022.

For the year, county municipalities have received $2,834,143.20, up $119,451.47 or 4.4 percent, above the $2,714,691.73 received through the first nine months of 2022.

Sales tax allocations for Gonzales, the largest city in the county which generates the lion’s share of sales tax revenue, were $242,538.77, down $11.988.59 or 4.71 percent below the $254.527/36 received during September 2022.

For the year, the city has received $2,397,854.94, up $41,801.50 or 1.77 percent, above the $2,356,053.44 received at this same point in 2022.

Waelder received a total of $13,281.61, up 114.81 percent or $7,098.80, above the $6,182.81 received in September 2022. For the year, Waelder has received $105,435.25, up $48,070.87, or 83.79 percent, above the $57,364.38 received at this point in 2022. The city has smashed the record $84,776.57 it received in all of 2022 and still has allocations coming in October, November and December.

Sales tax receipts for Nixon were $30,329.06, down $5,440.14, or 15.2 percent, below the $35,769.20 received in September 2022. For the year, the city has received $301,421.28, up $26,094.88, or 9.47 percent, above the $275,326.40 received at this same point last year.

Finally, Smiley’s sales tax receipts were $3,859.26, up $1,507.95, or 64.13 percent, from the $2,351.31 received in September 2022. For the year, the city has received $29,431.73, up $3,484.22 or 13.42 percent above the $25,947.51 received in the first nine months of 2022.

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.