Sales tax allocations up nearly 12 percent for Gonzales County

Sales tax allocations for Gonzales County were up more than $34,000 for the month of September 2024, an increase of 11.98 percent from the amount received for September one year ago, according to figures released by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office.

Hegar announced announced today he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.1 billion in local sales tax allocations for September, 6.3 percent more than in September 2023.

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

Combined sales tax allocations for the month of September 2024 for all four municipalities were $324,760.13 — up $34,751.43 or 11.98 percent above the $290,008.70 received in September 2023 and an increase of $14,716.51 from August’s combined sales tax allocation of $310,043.62.

For the year, Gonzales County municipalities have received a combined total of $2,763,497.05, down $70,646.15 or 2.5 percent from the $2,834,143.20 received as of this point last year.

Gonzales saw a 12.51 percent increase, or $30,343.02 more, in sales tax allocations for September 2024. The largest city in the county, which generates the lion’s share of sales tax revenue, received $272,881.79, compared to $242,538.77 in September 2023.

For the year, the city has received $2,335,363.41, down 2.60 percent or $62,491.53 from the $2,397,854.94 Gonzales had received at this point in 2023.

Sales tax receipts also were up for Nixon, which received $34,704.84, up $4,375.78 or 14.42 percent more than the $30,329.06 received in September 2023. For the year, the city has received $302,383.48, just 0.31 percent or $962.20 more than the $301,421.28 received through this time last year. Nixon is the only city in the black for the year at this time.

Waelder received a total of $14,676.53, an increase of $1,394.92, or 10.5 percent, above the $13,281.61 received in September 2023. For the year, Waelder has received a total of $97,290.60, down 7.72 percent or $8,144.65 less than the $105,435.25 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 $2,496.97, down $1,362.29 or 35.29 percent from the $3,859.26 received in September 2023. For the year, Smiley has received $289,459.356, or 3.30 percent less than the $29,431.73 received through the first nine 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 September 2024, the county received $206,700.01, or 0.12 percent more than the $206,435.75 received in September 2023. For the year, the county has received $2,305,004.10 or 16.86 percent more than the $1,972,284.03 received through this point last year.