Sales Tax returns for January
County collections increase;
Hawkins down 6.36 percent
By JOHN SPARKS

Businesses in the unincorporated county generated $89,920.94 in sales tax revenues for the county in January (taxes actually collected in November). This represents a 2.48 percent increase over the $87,738.89 received by the county in January 2006. The city of Hawkins, however, brought in 6.36 percent less for January 2007, $13,497.42, compared with January 2006, 14,414,24.

The merchants along the Holly Lake/Hawkins Corridor (FM-2869/FM-14) are important contributors to the county sales tax revenues. The local portion of sales taxes collected by businesses located within the city limits of Hawkins come back to the city’s general fund and to the Hawkins Community Development Corporation.
 

The figures were released last week by the Texas Comptroller’s Office.
 

The sales tax funds are collected by local merchants, sent to the Texas Comptroller along with the state’s six and-a-quarter cents tax on each dollar of retail purchase. Hawkins’ local portion—one-and-one-half cents/dollar—is then returned two months later (November collections returned in January). Merchants in the unincorporated county areas collect a half-cent sales tax on each dollar sale.
 

The $13,497.42 in local sales taxes collected by merchants in Hawkins during November has been distributed to the two budgets supported by the sales tax, with approximately $8,998.28 deposited into the city’s general fund and the remaining $4,499.14, representing a half-cent sales tax, into the HCDC.
 

Sales taxes collected by merchants in the unincorporated county go directly into the Wood County general fund.
 

Comparative figures for sales tax returns (for the month of November) for each city and the county follow with commentary furnished by Gary McKinley, executive director of the Wood County Industrial Commission: