Early 2020 revenues strong

County officials taking ‘ wait and see’ attitude to pandemic period tax dollar projections

news@theeveningtimes.com First-quarter tax collections reported strong. Both the County Treasurer and the West Memphis Advertising and promotions Commission (A& P) reported positive numbers for the first part of the year.

Business was good up to the coronavirus restrictions.

Both County Treasurer Matt Thompson and West Memphis Convention and visitors Bureau Executive Director Jim Jackson said expressed delight at the early results and issued urged caution about as revenues under the Coronavirus lagged behind and remained to be reported next month.

'The county tax revenue was up 17.5 percent in February,' said Thompson during his May Quorum Court report. 'Tax collections year to date were 11.5% percent over 2019.' TAX REVENUES (cont.)

County Tax Collector Helen Steel Foote, said people apparently used their stimulus money to pay property taxes. Even those running behind with delinquent balances drove property tax receipts. The collector provided a comparison.

'We are at $579,000 through April and last year at this time was $566,000,' said Foote.

'Every property tax and sales tax line is up,' said Thompson.

County judge Woody Wheeless indicated county revenue contrasted sharply with the State revenue running in the red before the legislature re-worked the budget.

'The first few months of this year were better than ever,' said Wheeless.

'Since the COVID-19 shutdowns some businesses aren't doing anything at all and some have adapted and are doing well. The state was down 28 percent.'

The county anticipated upcoming tax reports reflecting the state imposed lockdown with a wait-andsee

Conventions and Visitors Executive Director told his board, the A& P, the year started off with a positive surge.

'These are numbers I am happy with though March, with things not shutting down until towards the end,' said Jackson. 'Our March was up 3.7 percent over March of '19. I am very pleased with that.'

Jackson held less optimism for the report through the end of April due next month reflecting Covid-19 restrictions on business.

'It will probably be different next month when we get a true picture of what's happened,' said Jackson.

At the county meeting officials forecast a mixed bag for next month.

Fast food drive through lanes were packed around the county. Some restaurants adapted to carry out or sold meal kits or marketed delivery. Shortages at retailers on paper goods, meat and dairy products indicated brisk supermarket business. Some businesses experienced booms like Christmas peaks, while others shutdown. Bait stores reflected an increase in outdoors-men activity and tried to keep up with demand for worms and crickets, and sold minnows by the thousands.

Hoteliers reported a different story, but all the county hotels hung on through the travel restrictions. Tru Hotel General Manager Shawna Rhinehart told the A& P local hotel survival was near inexplicable.

I belong to a hospitality group on Facebook with 50,000 members and the discussion the last two months has been awful the industry has been,' said Rhinehart. 'Some have closed their doors. We've been maintaining about 30 percent. There was not one in Crittenden County that closed its doors. All of have been maintaining occupancy at 25 – 30 percent. It's a miracle.'

Essential travel for the Jonesboro tornado relief workers, construction workers, truckers and medical providers buoyed local hotel occupancy according to Rhinehart. Two Interstate Highways running through the city propped up hotel occupancy.

'We should be thankful as a community that our hotels are getting business,' said Rhinehart.

'Guess what, a lot of hotels in downtown Memphis laid everybody off except the managers. 'Our hotel hasn't had to lay off anyone, not one. We have a lot going on this side of the bridge in West Memphis.'

Group travel including youth sports and dancing flat lined, but Jackson agreed with the local 'miracle' status.

'It is,' said Jackson.

'That's not the case elsewhere in the state.'

Authorities cringed in anticipation of the tax revenue stream running slower on future reports showing the impact of coronavirus restrictions on business.

'We need to wait for next month to get a true picture of what has happened,'