Manhattan sales tax receipt numbers were up this last reporting period, with $845,877 collected in April, compared to $821,051 the month before. That’s also up from 2014 numbers for April of $806,747. $740,000 had been budgeted for this past month.
The April numbers generally reflect March retail sales across the community.
Manhattan Finance Director Bernie Hayen indicates all of the retail sectors were up which include grocery sales, auto sales, and big box stores, with the exception of the retail stores within the Manhattan Town Center. Hayen says that likely reflects the recent closing of the Sears store. The Finance Director adds sales tax collections are a strong 8.7% ahead of the previous year – which hasn’t happened for some time.