Joplin’s sales tax proceeds hit a record peak despite predictions that they could reach a new low as a result of the 2011 tornado damage.
The 1-cent tax for the city’s general fund exceeded the previous high-water marks by more than $500,000, amounting to a total of $12,875,335 for the city’s current fiscal year. That exceeds the $12,297,228 for last fiscal year by about $578,000, and tops the previous highest total of $12,340,487 in 2008.
The $12,875,335 total represents “the biggest year we’ve ever seen, but I think that’s to be expected with the rebuilding going on,” said Leslie Jones, the city’s finance director. “We do not expect future years to be like that, and the last four months have been coming down.” Collections for the past four months were down about $265,000 from a year ago.
City officials set the budget estimate for collections this fiscal year at $11,191,000, a 1 percent decrease over the previous year, believing that a post-tornado boost from rebuilding and visiting volunteers could play out.
City Manager Mark Rohr, in submitting his 2013 budget, projects that downturn for 2013. The upcoming fiscal year of sales tax proceeds is budgeted at $12 million.
“The post-tornado spike in sales-tax revenue growth has made it difficult to develop meaningful trends to predict these revenues,” he wrote in his letter of transmittal of the proposed budget to the City Council. “I have utilized projections at a level slightly more than the baseline year of 2010 for this document. Research on other communities experiencing similar disasters and consultations with those involved in the local retail industry suggest a leveling off of the revenue spike.”
The tax provides 10 percent of the city’s general fund revenue, with the city’s additional sales taxes providing a total making up about another 17 percent. Those are the transportation sales tax and the public safety sales tax, each budgeted at 5.4 percent; the capital projects sales tax, 4.1 percent; and the parks and stormwater sales tax, 2.7 percent.
Tax collections
In addition to the general fund, Joplin’s other sales tax proceeds for the fiscal year:
Half-cent public safety tax — $6,425,980, up about $285,000.
Half-cent transportation sales tax — $6,437,659, up about $285,000.
Quarter-cent parks and stormwater tax — $3,214,114, up about $140,000.
Three-eighths cent capital projects tax — $4,821,901, up about $220,000.
Top Stories
Joplin chalks up record sales tax year; city officials predict decline next year
- Top Stories
-
-
Joplin City Council to move forward on $130 million recovery proposal; curbside recycling election resurrected
Residents kept the house packed to the end of a 2 1/2-hour meeting of the Joplin City Council on Monday night to encourage the panel to resurrect some kind of curbside recycling proposal and to hear the details or support a $130 million recovery plan.
-
Swimmers join worldwide effort to try for world record
A group of youngsters was part of a worldwide attempt Tuesday to set a record for the world’s largest swimming lesson.
-
Board chairwoman: Bruce Speck out as MSSU president
Bruce Speck is “no longer president” of Missouri Southern State University, the Board of Governors disclosed Monday. The announcement was made late Monday afternoon following a unanimous vote taken during a closed board meeting Friday.
-
Former disaster relief worker, others indicted for fraud following Joplin tornado
A federal grand jury has indicted a former employee of the Economic Security Corp. in Joplin, her boyfriend and a third alleged conspirator in connection with the defrauding of the government via tornado relief funds. A sealed, three-count indictment was returned June 11 in U.S. District Court in Springfield against Herlana L. Latham, 31, and Christopher L. Smith, 36, both of Memphis, Tenn., and John L. Williams, 30, of Cairo, Ill. T
-
Back on the books: Reassessment numbers reflect rebuilding after 2011 tornado
Owners of nearly 8,000 properties in Jasper County have been notified that the value of real property they own has increased, and rebuilding from the Joplin tornado represents a significant share of that number. Officials in the county assessor’s office recently mailed out notices of higher property values, raised as a result of countywide reassessment.
-
Joplin to proceed with $130 million recovery plan, recycling election
The Joplin City Council on Monday night agreed to go forward with formal consideration of a $130 million recovery plan and revived a bill to hold an April vote of the people on the question of whether to institute curbside recycling.
-
Missouri Southern without president
Bruce Speck is “no longer president” of Missouri Southern State University, the Board of Governors disclosed Monday.
-
Crop-duster takes to skies again after walking away from crash
RIVERTON, Kan. — Two minutes after John “Tim” Kellogg flew over his rural Cherokee County home and waved at his wife on their porch, the oil pressure in his crop-dusting plane dropped and the engine began smoking. “I knew I was going to be on the ground in 15 to 20 seconds, and I knew it was going to be a hard landing,” he said. A former mechanic on F-16s, F-15s and F-4s for the U.S. Air Force, Kellogg, 48, had to make a split-second decision.
-
Council to hear public comments on recycling issue
A curbside recycling initiative that was defeated earlier this month will resurface tonight when several Joplin residents will ask for further consideration and two vendors will offer their services.
Representatives of two recycling businesses, one in Bentonville, Ark., and one in Tulsa, Okla., have filed requests to speak to the City Council. As of Friday morning, four residents also had submitted requests. -
Mission No. 22: Son experiences flight with father
The engines on the B-17 rumble to life one after another. The smell of smoky oil filters into the radio room through the bomb bay doors. Overhead, cables vibrate like strings on a cello. The vibration intensifies and the plane lumbers forward to the runway. Before takeoff, the pilot stops the plane and puts it at full throttle. The massive propellers rock the plane. The plane is then thrust down the runway for a takeoff that is as smooth as silk.
- More Top Stories Headlines
-
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
NYC 911 Call Lasts for 8 Hours
Obama: US Has Helped Syrian Rebels
Afghan Forces Take Afghanistan Security Lead
Raw: 100K Protesters Flood Brazilian Streets
California Cops Cruise on Stand-up Paddle Patrol
Transgender Candidate Running in NYC
Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent'
Man Who Disrupted Flight Ranted About CIA
Feds: 7-Eleven Stores Exploited Immigrants
Fla. Teen Catches Ride With Whale Shark
Iran's Rowhani Urges 'Path of Moderation'
Investigators Probe Origin of Colo. Wildfire
Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail
Family Tweets Say Kim Kardashian Gives Birth
