Sales tax downturn after solid month

Sales tax allocations for the city of Wimberley were down this month, although that may have been predictable given the nature of last month’s large increase.

The January payment, representing one percent of sales made within the city of Wimberley during the month of November, was down 12.22 percent compared to the same month the previous year. The city received $60,737.08 this period.

Last month, Wimberley saw a 40 percent increase compared to the same month in the previous year but much of that increase was due to businesses paying their expected sales tax early. In fact, the drop for January sales tax allocations is a little over $10,500. The future payments made in the previous month totaled about $12,500.

It is not possible to make an exact correlation between the two months because the information given by the state comptroller does not go into business-specific detail, but a cursory overview appears to show that sales within the city limits held steady for the month of November in 2018 compared to November 2017.

That assertion is held up by the fact that the sales tax allocations for last 12 months in Wimberley are up a little more than one percent.

Woodcreek, however, continues to see significant sales tax growth along with most of the rest of the county. Woodcreek had the second highest percentage increase for the payment made in January compared to the same month last year. Woodcreek received $5,114.94 this month, up 27.92 percent. That continues a strong year for Woodcreek, which was up 10.41 percent in 2018.

The Wimberley Village Library, which receives .5 percent of all sales made within its jurisdiction, had a huge month receiving a check for $63,580.40, which is up nearly 45 percent over the same month last year. Similar to the city of Wimberley last month, that increase is based entirely on an increase from audit collections as opposed to sales made within the district during the month.

Elsewhere in Hays County:

• Buda: January payment down 2.53 percent when compared to last year. Buda’s January payment is $522,979.40

• Dripping Springs: January payment up 16.06 percent when compared to last year. Dripping Springs’ January payment is $205,151.56

• Kyle: January payment is down 3.20 percent when compared to last year. Kyle’s January payment is $598,595.74

• Mountain City: January payment is down 36.61 percent when compared to last year. Mountain City’s January payment is $1,118.03

• Niederwald: January payment is up 10.81 percent when compared to last year. Niederwald’s January payment is $3,429.30

• San Marcos: January payment is up 27.21 percent when compared to last year. San Marcos’ January payment is $4,273,777.60.

• Uhland: January payment is up 1.59 percent. Uhland’s January payment is $14,661.75

The sales tax rate in San Marcos, Buda, Kyle and Uhland is 1.5 percent. In Dripping Springs it is 1.25 percent and in Hays City, Mountain City, Niederwald, Wimberley and Woodcreek is 1 percent.

Anita Miller, with the San Marcos Daily Record, compiled the countywide statistics for this article.