Ketchum tax revenues healthy
By PAT MURPHY
Express Staff Writer
In all categories tracked by the city of Ketchum, sales tax receipts showed healthy increases for the month of August, contributing to an even more robust increase overall for the year through eight months of 2004.
But tax collections on lodging rooms and building materials show a roller coaster weakness for the year so far, despite healthy gains in a few months.
In his monthly summary to the City Council, City Administrator Ron LeBlanc reported an August increase of 9.09 percent and a year-to-date increase of 8.13 percent in collections--a total of $1,771,348.56 this year compared to $1,638,124.37 for the first eight months of 2003, for a net jump of $133,224.19.
Condominium tax receipts showed the biggest rise--up 17.10 percent in August and a leap of 28.90 percent for the first eight months--$94,866.27 for the year compared to $73,696.67 for eight months of 2003.
In other categories:
· Retail receipts--up 8.03 percent for August and 10.35 percent for eight months, with $1,069,716.97 for eight months of this year, compared to $969,349.47 in 2003.
· Room receipts--up 4.57 percent in August, but down 1.85 percent for the first eight months, with $99,738.88 collected for the first eight months this of this year, compared to $101,616.78 last year?s first eight months.
· Liquor receipts--up 3.15 percent for August and increased by 10.21 percent for the year, with $175,141.97 for the first eight months, compared to $158,921.21 during the same period in 2003.
· Building material receipts--up 16.67 percent for August but down for the year by 0.82 percent, with $331,884.47 collected so far in 2004, compared to $334,640.24 for eight months last year.
