The fiscal year, which began July 1, started off with a strong showing in taxable sales for Calcasieu Parish, officials said. (mgnonline.com)
Strong taxable sales reported for Calcasieu
Last Modified: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 2:40 PM
By Johnathan Manning / American Press
The fiscal year, which began July 1, started off with a strong showing in taxable sales for Calcasieu Parish, officials said.
The $6 million in sales taxes collected last month were 8.7 percent more than what was collected in July 2011 and 3.8 percent above budget, according to numbers released by the parish sales tax office.
The numbers came in at a higher-than-expected rate for a seventh consecutive month and follow a 2011-12 fiscal year in which the parish finished with a 12 percent increase over 2010-11.
“That’s a very good indicator that our area is doing well,” said Rufus Fruge, director of the office.
The $87 million in taxable manufacturing sales represented the biggest jump from July 2011 — 28 percent. But the $6 million in taxable utility sales represented a 55 percent decrease from year-ago figures.
The $87 million in taxable merchandise sales was also the most from any of the 11 categories the tax office tracks. Eight of the 11 categories experienced increases.
Fruge said Monday, as he has in the past, that “high-dollar” projects, such as pipelines, often account for the fluctuations.
He said some areas of the parish experienced more of an increase than others, including the School Board and Police Jury. The School Board’s take was up 9 percent and the Police Jury’s was up 17 percent, Fruge said.
He attributed the higher numbers to “audit revenues.” Fruge said the overall numbers support “the trend we see that our economy continues to improve.”
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