ELGIN – Elgin showed a slight increase in sales tax revenue received in June even with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city received $154,841 compared to the same time period a year ago with $153,014, which is a 1% increase.
Mayor JJ Francais said he’s glad residents and others continue to embrace Elgin’s retail and restaurant establishments.
“The funding we receive from sales tax is absolutely critical to funding everything from roads to water and sewer in Elgin,” he said. “Without continued growth in the area of sales tax we won’t be able to fund our growing animal shelter, public parks and much more.”
Sales taxes are the primary source of revenue for cities and towns in Oklahoma.
Medicine Park gained a few extra dollars in sales tax for June compared to June 2021. The city received $64,292 this year while getting $64,037 last year for the same time period.
Yolanda Ramos, Medicine Park’s deputy town clerk and treasurer, said she’s pleased with the steady sales tax revenue.
“Medicine Park is a tourist town and so many people come here for our festivals,” she said. “Our water attractions are also a plus.”
Weekend shoppers and people who enjoy learning about the town’s history are advantages to attracting tourists and guests.
“I think people enjoy hearing and reading about the notorious people who came here and lived here in the 1920s,” she said.
Visitors also have a good time trying out the variety of eateries in town, including Joe Mountain Breakfast Bar, The Old Plantation, Chad’s El Sabores Mexican Restaurant, Riverside Café, Small Mountain Street Tacos, Nice Ice, Baby and more.
Meanwhile, Fletcher showed a significant decrease this June from June 2021 when the city received more than $49,000. Fletcher Town Clerk Mettie Fisher said the June 2021 sales tax receipt was an anomaly. In June 2022, Fletcher received a payout of more than $30,000.
“Sometimes those big months occur when a business gets something in or there’s a big installation,” she said. “Thirty thousand is a good sales tax check for Fletcher.”
In Sterling, the sales tax receipts for June were slightly down compared to June 2021 when the town received $12,001. Sterling received $10,270 last month.
The June 2022 distribution of sales tax collections by the Oklahoma Tax Commission primarily represents local tax receipts from April business.