Local municipalities see uptick in sales tax revenue

Ash Grove, Republic enjoy steady growth; Willard expects less revenue in 2022
 
Republic, Willard and Ash Grove all saw a pattern of steady growth in sales tax revenue from 2017 through 2021.

Republic
With their ever-continuing growth in population and industry, it is no surprise that Republic also saw an increase in their sales tax revenue. According to figures provided by Allyssa Dudley, public information officer for Republic, the city collected $5,364,974.79 in sales tax in 2017, $6,185,001.28 in 2018, $6,373,863.88 in 2019, $7,225,715.67 in 2020 and $8.4 million in 2021. Sales tax revenue in 2022 is projected to be $10.6 million.
Republic has an overall sales tax rate of 9.1-percent. The city’s sales tax rate is three-and-one-eighth percent, which is divided as: one percent, city general sales tax; one half percent, transportation sales tax; one fourth-percent, capital improvement sales tax; one eighth percent, fire sales tax; one quarter percent, aquatic center sales tax; one quarter-percent, capital improvement park sales tax and three quarter-percent, public safety sales tax. Missouri also collects 4.225-percent, and Greene County collects 1.75-percent.
Dudley said the revenue would be used to meet the city’s basic needs and improve services.
“Sales tax revenue collected is used to fund the Parks Department, public safety, street maintenance and improvement, city administration, and capital improvement projects voted on by the citizens of Republic,” she said. “This year we’ll be focusing on putting more police on the streets, increasing the number of firefighters we have, getting our roads in order, and continuing to provide innovative and family-friendly programming in our parks department.”

Willard
Like Republic, Willard also saw an increase in their overall sales tax revenue over the past five years. According to figures provided by Carolyn Halverson, director of finance for Willard, the city collected a total of $1,018,774.39 in overall revenue in 2017, $1,096,765.67 in 2018, $1,100,166.90 in 2019, $1,264,640.25 in 2020 and $1,341,190.34 in 2021. Overall sales tax revenue in 2022, however, is projected to dip slightly to $1,296,450.
Willard has an overall sales tax rate of 7.98-percent. The city’s sales tax rate is two-percent, which includes the general sales tax, the general capital improvement sales tax and the parks capital improvement sales tax. The state also collects 4.23-percent, and the county collects 1.75-percent.
Halverson said the city’s sales tax revenue would be used for a “variety of things,” including computers, the city’s main server, vehicles, radar equipment, a heat pump for the Rec Center, parking lot sealing, a bus for the Parks Dept., equipment for different departments, a printer, scanners, building repairs and maintenance and paving.

Ash Grove
Ash Grove also saw upwards trend in their sale tax revenue. According to figures provided by Melissa Mau, Ash Grove city clerk, the city collected $221,144 in sales tax in 2017, $280,551 in 2018, $269,509 in 2019, $284,230 in 2020 and $324,351 in 2021. Projected sales tax revenue for 2022 is expected to be $324,000.
The city’s total general revenue, including sales tax, property tax and other tax revenues, was $585,525 in 2017, $666,409 in 2018, $666,151 in 2019, $662,856 in 2020 and $730,685 in 2021. For 2022, the city’s projected total revenue is expected to be $737,200.
Ash Grove’s overall tax rate is 7.975-percent. The city collects two-precent in sales tax, while the state collects 4.225-precent and the county collects 1.75-percent.
Mau said the city’s tax revenues are used to meet everyday needs, but improvements to city facilities are also planned this year.
“Most of the sales tax revenue goes towards daily operations of the city including insurance and salaries,” she said. “Projects that have been, or will be funded in the current budget year are sidewalk improvements, resurfacing street signs, adding a wheelchair access ramp to the playground area, replacing the battery for the pool lift, precast concrete planters for the community garden, and upgrades to the police evidence room.”