Budget numbers solid, say WM commissioners

Sales receipts, Southland revenues in line with projections

news@theeveningtimes.com

West Memphis city sales taxes showed a modest gain again for August while the expanding Southland Casino Racing recorded another huge gain. The West Memphis Budget Commission heard the results during its September meetings.

Sales tax receipts showed a 5.07 percent increase year to date over last year.

The city sales tax revenue amounted to $608,695 in August. The year to date sales tax collection stood at $4,704,447.

The year to date margins reflected a much more modest increase in real numbers with a 1.11 percent gain of $51,566.

The amount collected just out paced the projected budget by 1.28 percent, up $76,825.

“Up is up,” said City Treasurer Frank Martin.

Southland Casino Racing turned in another monster monthly increase over August 2018. Gaming tax revenue amounted to 551,123 up $268,057 over the same month last year for a 94.7 percent gain. Councilman Tracy Catt pointed to the expansion to live gaming as the driving force behind the big numbers.

“The number continued to come in as projected,” said Catt.

The budget chairman said the windfall to the city will go toward capital improvement at city and neighborhood parks in the city as well as five new municipal buildings. The city has planned two new fire stations, one with an attached police substation, a new library and district courthouse.

In other business:

• The commission took a look at moving its 911 funds to the general fund before the end of the year, but the modest increase staved of the need to transfer funds to balance the budget.

“We opted not to do that since general revenues are up,” said Catt, “We don’t need to do that transfer.”

• The commission also recommended to city council to chip in to fix the lighting on Watershed, the new art piece on the old Cotton Compress Water tower in the 500 block of East Broadway.

“The Water tower repair is about $12,000,” said Catt.

“We need to go ahead and get that done. This will correct an electrical issue.”