The April numbers are in and they don’t necessarily paint a bright picture.
Through the first one third of 2020, sales and use tax revenues are down a combined total of 11 percent compared to last year at this time for Platte County. In terms of actual dollars, the county is down close to $600,000 in revenue compared to this time in 2019.
The news is likely to get worse in future months. It’s important to note these revenue numbers are for consumer activity that took place well before the pandemic and “stay at home” order temporarily shuttered many retailers.
The year-to-date numbers for April reflect consumer spending that has taken place from November of 2019 to February of this year.
Local concerns about the coronavirus did not hit until mid-March and a stay at home order didn’t go into effect in Platte County until March 24.
“I will not make predictions for the rest of the year based on these numbers as there is no past economic model for Platte County akin to the current situation,” said Rob Willard, county treasurer.
The county’s half general sales tax collections are down 3.56% compared to last year at this time. The county’s use tax collections are down dramatically, 40% lower than last year at this time.
“We must remain resolute and focused on the current situation. At the same time, we must devote some time looking at the months ahead and potential difficulties we’ll face during the period of recovery,” Willard said this week.
Collections for the half cent sales tax for parks/stormwater and the 3/8th cent sales tax for roads are down two percent compared to last year. The dedicated sales taxes are not applicable on some purchases, thus those percentages are different than the 3.56 percent decline in the general sales tax receipts.