By Mary Alys Cherry
The nation’s economy may not have fully recovered from the 2008 recession, but the Bay Area certainly has.
The cities around Clear Lake and Galveston Bay have not only recovered, they found themselves some $8.8 million richer as Texas Comptroller Susan Combs delivered sales tax rebates collected in September for sales in August.
Several local cities showed double digit increases over last year’s totals – some receiving boosts from new businesses.
State sales tax revenue in September was $1.96 billion, up 11.6 percent compared to September 2011, Combs said.
“Continued strength in the manufacturing and oil and natural gas sectors led to the sales tax revenue increase,” she explained. “Collections were also boosted by improvement in consumer spending at restaurants and retail stores. State sales tax revenue has now increased for 30 straight months.”
Houston, of which Clear Lake City is a part, was up 12 percent in August and 12.43 percent for the year-to-date, compared with 2011.
Nassau Bay with its new businesses was up 39.55 percent, while League City jumped 19.52 percent and Dickinson was up 32.5 percent. Tax revenues in Taylor Lake Village, meanwhile, were up a whopping 99 percent over last year and registering a 66.78 percent increase for the year-to-date compared with last year.
Pearland, Pasadena, Deer Park and La Porte all showed double-digit gains in August, as did Galveston and Dallas. El Lago was the only city dipping below last year’s August revenues, although Friendswood’s year-to-date total was down slightly.
Monthly payments in the Bay Area, the increase are decrease for the same period last year; the year-to-date total in parenthesis, plus the percentage increase or decrease for the year follow:
Clear Lake Shores — $129,213, +4.19; ($1,391,852) +1.08;
Deer Park — $394,120, +16.63; ($3,792,163) +9.40;
Dickinson — $486,358, +32.48; ($4,061,908) +26.81;
El Lago — $9,761, -6.19; ($95,041) -8.96;
Friendswood — $346,190, +5.71; ($3,193,122) – 2.83;
Galveston — $1,742,267, +23.51; ($14,565,263) +8.71;
Houston — $46,658,819, +12.16; ($417,670,489) +12.43;
Kemah — $270,650, +3.41; ($2,693,942) +4.16;
La Porte — $582,397, +17.39; ($5,692,730) +22.95;
League City — $1,233,055, +19.52; ($12,000,579) +10.55;
Nassau Bay — $95,608, +39.55; ($700,239) +16.82;
Pasadena — $2,088,922, +11.18; ($21,466,151) +8.11;
Pearland — $1,797,582, +10.68; ($18,403,536) +11.34;
Seabrook — $158,460, +.99; ($1,741,180) +0.14;
Taylor Lake Village — $6,971, +98.93; ($75,872) +66.78;
Webster — $1,234,924, +9.30; ($11,980,014) +3.90.
