Springfield’s May tax check lands 12% below budget

The city of Springfield’s monthly sales tax check from the state of Missouri came in 12 percent below budget.

The check from the Missouri Department of Revenue, which reflects sales processed by the state in April from transactions made primarily in March, was $2.46 million, compared to the budgeted amount of $2.79 million, according to a city news release.

Compared to the same month last year, May receipts from the city’s 1 percent sales tax were down over $145,000, or 6 percent.

On a year-to-date basis, sales tax revenue remains up 4 percent for the first 10 months of fiscal 2016. Last month, the city collected $3.6 million in sales tax revenue, which was 3 percent below budget.

Sales tax revenue funds core city services such as Police and Fire operations. In Springfield, roughly 60 percent of the city’s general fund revenue comes from sales and use taxes, according to the release.