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LOGAN, Utah (AP) -- Despite some signs that the economy is improving, Cache County officials say the northern Utah area's sale tax revenues have essentially remained flat.
County Executive Lynn Lemon says figures from the first two months of 2010 show tax revenues are actually lower, when compared to the same two months of 2008.
In January, the county option sales tax totaled $263,149, a significant drop from the $290,693 in January 2009 and the $297,385 collected in January 2008.
I'd say more than discouraging, it's perplexing. If you listen to the national news media, you'd think that for the last six months, things have been doing much, much better than they were last year. But I'm not seeing that yet in sales tax dollars.
–Lynn Lemon
February revenues for 2010 were $270,887. That's a slight increase over the $268,733 recorded in February 2009, but far less than the February 2008 total of $291,826.
"I'd say more than discouraging, it's perplexing," Lemon said. "If you listen to the national news media, you'd think that for the last six months, things have been doing much, much better than they were last year. But I'm not seeing that yet in sales tax dollars."
Despite the county's lackluster numbers, Lemon said the "flat" tax sales situation will not prompt him to recommend an increase in property taxes.
"In this stage of the economy, I think the worst thing we could do is propose a tax increase," Lemon said. "I absolutely wouldn't even consider that. Just because we need the economy to grow."
Cache County has roughly $4 million in reserve funds and has chosen to leave many open positions vacant in order to save funds, Lemon said.
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Information from: The Herald Journal
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