Published: November 06, 2009 01:27 pm      

Commerce sales jump

By Brad Kellar

Journal Staff

Business in Commerce was good during September, as local merchants recorded a big jump in the amount of sales taxes they collected.

The City of Commerce is also enjoying the benefits of a strong economy as it posted gains in the amount of sales tax rebate revenue it received this month, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Texas Comptroller’s Office.

The City of Commerce will receive a sales tax payment this month of $111,855.54, an increase of 9.15 percent from the $102,471.76 Commerce received in November 2008.

With one month of sales tax payments still to be counted toward the 2009 fiscal year, the City of Commerce has received $1,058,247.75, representing an increase of 3.28 percent from the $1,024,566.87 Commerce had collected through the same point in 2008.

The November sales tax rebate payments represent the city's portion of sales taxes collected at local merchants in September by monthly filers and during July, August and September by quarterly filers, which were reported to the Comptroller's office in October.

Sales taxes are one of the two main sources of revenue, along with property taxes, which feed the city's general fund.

Next month's sales tax report will include the city's final numbers for the 2009 fiscal year.