Sales tax allocations go up for Gonzales County in May 2024

Sales tax allocations in May 2024 were up for three of Gonzales County’s four municipalities, according to figures released by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office.

Hegar announced he is sending cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for May, 0.4 percent more than in May 2023. These allocations are based on sales made in March by businesses that report tax monthly and sales made in January, February and March by quarterly filers.

Combined sales tax allocations for the month of May 2024 for all four municipalities were $341,369.08 — up $7,772.30, or 2.33 percent above the $333,596.78 received in May 2023. It is also $46,378.16, or 15.7 percent, more than these cities received one month earlier for April 2024.

It marks the second straight month cities in Gonzales County had seen higher sales tax allocations after seeing decreases in six of the previous seven months (from October 2023 to March 2024).

For the year, Gonzales County municipalities have received a combined total of $1,502,889.95, down $74,859.72 or 4.74 percent from the $1,577,749.67 received as of this point last year.

Sales tax allocations for May 2024 for Gonzales, the largest city in the county which generates the lion’s share of sales tax revenue, were $287,754.75, up 1.99 percent or $5,625.17 from the $282,129.58 the city received last May. It was the best sales tax allocation for May in Gonzales history and the sixth-best month overall.

For the year, the city has received $1,269,746.74, down 4.79 percent or $63,965.66 from the $1,333,712.40 Gonzales had received at this point in 2023.

Sales tax receipts were also up for Nixon, which received $36,215.59, up $667.47 or 1.87 percent more than the $35,548.12 received in May 2023. This was also up $1,714.47 above the $34,501.12 received in March 2024. For the year, the city has received $164,901.63, 2.6 percent or $4,408.53 less than the $169,310.16 received through this time last year.

Waelder received a total of $11,877.75, a decreased of $608.48, or 4.87 percent, below the $12,486.23 received in May 2023. However, it is also up $3,639.03 from the $8,238.72 the city received in April 2024.

For the year, Waelder has received a total of $50,193.47, down 15.92 percent or $9,507.90 less than the $59,701.37 the city had received through this time last year.

Finally, Smiley’s sales tax receipts were $5,520.99, up $2,088.14 or 60.82 percent from the $3,432.85 received in May 2023. It is also $3,216.70 more than the $2,304.29 Smiley had received in April 2024.

For the year, Smiley is the only city in the black, having received $18,048.11, or 20.11 percent more than the $15,025.74 received through the first five 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.

Gonzales County itself also receives a 0.5 percent sales and use tax and for the month of May 2024, the county received $2323,155.94, or eight percent more than the $214,958.03 received in May 2023. For the year, the county has received $1,434,723.01, 35.18 percent more than the $1,061,269.05 received through this point last year.