HARLINGEN — Harlingen, San Benito and South Padre Island showed strong sales tax numbers for the month of March, the Texas Comptroller’s Office revealed yesterday.
And after months of negative numbers following the closing of the local Wal-Mart, the City of Raymondville posted a sharp gain of 4.46 percent.
The sales tax allocations from the state are based on sales in these municipalities for the month of March.
The sales tax allocations from the state are an indicator of the health of retailers and the local economy in Texas cities.
Statewide, the sales tax allocations totaled $787.8 million, a 2.6 percent increase over last year.
“The cities of Irving, Round Rock, Dallas, San Antonio and Odessa saw noticeable increases in sales tax allocations,” Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. “The cities of McAllen and Sugarland saw noticeable decreases.”
Those poor McAllen numbers, which most analysts say reflect the continuing weakness of the Mexican peso versus the U.S. dollar, showed the Valley’s largest metropolitan area with a reimbursement of $5.4 million, down 7.12 percent from the same month last year.
For the year, McAllen’s sales tax allocations are down 6.41 percent.
In Cameron County, Harlingen was up 3.84 percent for the month (up 3.52 percent for the year), San Benito showed a gain of 7.63 percent (up 3.69 percent for the year) and South Padre Island was up 3.61 percent (up 7.36 percent for the year).
Elsewhere, the numbers in the rest of the county were poor.
Rio Hondo, where traffic re-routing due to the temporary closing of the lift bridge apparently has hurt retail sales, was down 19.89 percent for the month and 4.71 percent for the year.
Brownsville was down 8.77 percent (down 5.12 percent for the year), Los Fresnos was down 15.37 percent (down 10.71 percent for the year) and La Feria was down 3.01 percent (down 4.31 percent for the year).
In Hidalgo County, Mercedes (down 24.35 percent for the month) and Edinburg (down 5.36 percent) showed losses for the month compared to last year.
Pharr and Weslaco posted small monthly gains.
Cameron County
Monthly/Annual
HARLINGEN — Up 3.84 percent Up 3.52 percent
SAN BENITO — Up 7.63 percent Up 3.69 percent
RIO HONDO — Down 19.89 percent Down 4.71 percent
LA FERIA — Down 3.01 percent Down 4.31 percent
S. PADRE ISL — Up 3.61 percent Up 7.36 percent
LOS FRESNOS — Down 15.37 percent Down 10.71 percent
BROWNSVILLE — Down 8.77 percent Down 5.12 percent
Willacy County
RAYMONDVILLE —Up 4.46 percent Down 21.69 percent
LYFORD — Up 9.39 percent Up 2.50 percent
Hidalgo County
MCALLEN — Down 7.12 percent Down 6.41 percent
MERCEDES — Down 24.35 percent Down 15.31 percent
EDINBURG — Down 5.36 percent Down 0.75 percent
PHARR — Up 1.17 percent Up 1.45 percent
WESLACO — Up 0.11 percent Up 1.84 percent
Source: Texas Comptroller’s Office; sales are from March
