City's final fiscal year sales tax check down 13%

The city of Springfield's June sales tax check continued the yearlong downward revenue trend, but no additional spending cuts should be necessary, according to a statement Tuesday from the city budget office.

The June sales tax check, which covers purchases from March and April, totaled $3.27 million for the city's 1 percent general revenue sales tax. That figure is down 13.3 percent compared to the $3.77 million collected in June 2009. For fiscal 2010, which ends June 30, the city collected $35.4 million, down 7.6 percent from the $38.3 million collected last year.

Despite the drop in sales tax collections compared to last year, city administration does not anticipate the need for additional spending cuts, according to a city news release. The city projected sales tax revenue to be about 8 percent below budget, and cuts have been made on a quarterly basis throughout the year along with continuing a hiring freeze, now in its 18th month, for general revenue-funded positions.

In the city's initial plans for the fiscal 2011 budget, which must be passed before July 1, city officials estimate sales tax revenues to remain flat compared to actual totals for the current fiscal year.[[In-content Ad]]