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Sales Tax Revenue Up and Down

Tulsa City Hall
KWGS News File Photo
Tulsa City Hall

  The City of Tulsa’s June sales tax check, which covers the period from mid-April 2015 to mid-May 2015, as reported by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, totaled $19,209,963, which is down 2.7 percent from the same period a year ago, but 2 percent above budget estimates. Sales taxes received so far this fiscal year total $234,955,646, which is 1.4 percent above one year ago and 2.6 percent above budget estimates.

Finance Director Mike Kier noted that the sales tax has declined year over year for the last three months – April, May and June. “There is some concern that we are potentially seeing softening in sales tax,” Kier said.

Sales tax and use tax collections provide two-thirds of the City of Tulsa’s general fund. Vital services such as police and fire protection, 911 emergency dispatch, snow and ice removal from streets, pothole repair and mowing of grass in medians and parks are supported by sales and use taxes.

“The volatility of our revenue structure is an issue when it comes to providing core services to the citizens of Tulsa,” Mayor Dewey Bartlett said. “We will continue to focus on revenue diversification that could help augment the general fund and the many services citizens rely on.”

The City of Tulsa sales tax rate currently is 3.1 percent, compared with 3.167 percent one year ago. The new lower tax rate began July 1, 2014, at the beginning of this fiscal year. Tulsa County now collects the 0.067 for jail and juvenile center projects.

Use taxes for June totaled $1,935,936, which is up 2.8 percent from the same period a year ago, and 2.1 percent below budget estimates. Use taxes received so far this fiscal year total $23,973,818, which is 2.7 percent below one year ago and 1.8 percent below budget estimates.