Sales tax allocations down by 10.8 percent for Gonzales County

Sales tax allocations for Gonzales County were down more than $37,000 for the month of August 2024, a decrease of more than 10.8 percent from the amount received for August one year ago, according to figures released by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office.

Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts throughout the state $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for August, 0.3 percent less than in August 2023.

These allocations are based on sales made in June by businesses that report tax monthly and on sales made in April, May and June by quarterly filers.

Combined sales tax allocations for the month of August 2024 for all four municipalities were $310,043.62 — down $37,611.68 or 10.82 percent below the $347,655.30 received in August 2023 and a decrease of $3,706.50 from July’s combined sales tax allocation of $313,750.12.

For the year, Gonzales County municipalities have received a combined total of $2,438,736.92, down $105,397.58 or 4.14 percent from the $2,544,134.50 received as of this point last year.

While Nixon, Waelder and Smiley saw modest increases in their sales tax numbers, Gonzales saw a 12.93 percent decrease, or $38,717.54 less, in sales tax allocations for August 2024. The largest city in the county, which generates the lion’s share of sales tax revenue, received $260,681.45, compared to $299,398.99 in August 2023.

For the year, the city has received $2,062,481.62, down 4.30 percent or $92,834.55 from the $2,155,316.17 Gonzales had received at this point in 2023.

Sales tax receipts again were slightly up for Nixon, which received $35,028.32, up $324.93 or 0.93 percent more than the $34,703.39 received in August 2023. For the year, the city has received $267,678.64, just 1.25 percent or $3,413.58 less than the $271,092.22 received through this time last year. Nixon could start seeing a boost in sales tax allocations two or three months from now after a new Tractor Supply opened on US 87 last month.

Waelder received a total of $11,272.79, an increase of $550.15, or 5.13 percent, above the $10,722.64 received in August 2023. For the year, Waelder has received a total of $82,614.07, down 10.35 percent or $9,539.57 less than the $92,153.64 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 $3,061.06, up $230.78 or 8.15 percent from the $2,830.28 received in August 2023. For the year, Smiley remains the only city in the black, having received $25,962.59, or 1.52 percent more than the $25,572.47 received through the first eight 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 August 2024, the county received only $200,325.71, or 18.41 percent less than the $245,539.91 received in August 2023 and less than the $223,067.88 received just last month. For the year, the county has received $2,098,304.09 or 18.82 percent more than the $1,765,848.28 received through this point last year.