by Alan McArthur
Landmark reporter

Sales tax revenues for the first part of the year are above initial expectations in Platte County.

The sales tax received by Platte County in March was $712,504.35, up 14.6 percent over 2008. The total is for the county's half cent sales tax.

The sales tax in February was down 19.8 percent from 2008 and taxes in January were up 24.4 percent from 2008.

Overall the county is up for the year so far by 5 percent.

“We budgeted a flat sales tax (revenue as compared to last year),” said Betty Knight, presiding commissioner. “Being up five percent is tremendous.”

In the budget for 2009, the county had predicted no increase in sales tax revenues from 2008 because of the downturn in the economy.

Kathy Dusenbery, first district commissioner, said the sales tax was strong because of the new retail that recently opened.

“It's all that new retail,” said Dusenbery. “They are really keeping Platte County strong.”

Dusenbery explained several new retail stores have opened in the county this year or late in 2008 such as Dillard's, Target, Best Buy and J.C. Penney.

Jim Plunkett, second district commissioner, said he is still expecting the year will finish with sales tax revenue being about equal to last year's.

The numbers for March are actually sales for the previous month.

In 2005 the county collected $6.2 million in sales tax revenue for the year, in 2006 the total was $6.8 million, in 2007 $7.2 million, and in 2008 $7.4 million.

The highest month for sales tax collection was in September of 2007 with a total of $956,855.20. The highest month of collection in 2008 was September with a total of $880,737.72.

The lowest amount collected in one month in 2008 was in May with a total of $397,207.38.
Sales tax revenue increased from 2004 to 2005 by 7.83 percent, from 2005 to 2006 by 8.71 percent, from 2006 to 2007 by 6.89 percent, and from 2007 to 2008 by 1.64 percent.