Sales tax down in northwest Arkansas

Sales tax revenue deliveries were down this month across northwest Arkansas compared to the same period last year.

Fayetteville and Rogers had the best months of the four major cities, while Springdale and Bentonville posted the worst losses.

The dents were likely due to December snow and ice which caused a retail sales slump across the region, officials said.

Fayetteville received $1,713,483 for a 2.5 percent decrease over last year, a difference of $43,524.

Rogers collected $1,409,112, a $56,980 decrease over last year when the city received $1,466,092.

Bentonville collected $893,261, a $43,109 decrease over last year when the city received $936,369.

Springdale received $879,036 for a 4 percent decrease over last year, a difference of $37,013.

Each city collects a 2 percent sales tax. One percent goes into a general fund. The other 1 percent goes toward repayment of bonds. The numbers reported by the Fayetteville Flyer represent the 1 percent going into general funds.

Sales tax revenue delivered in February reflects December sales tax collected in January.

Source: Staff report