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Edinburg’s retail economy in January 2018 registers 9.29 percent improvement over same month in 2017, according to Edinburg Economic Development Corporation - Titans of the Texas Legislature

Featured: The Edinburg Rotary recently honored the top eight students from the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District’s Fine Arts Department during its luncheon meeting at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg. “It’s great that the Rotarians recognize our students from the visual arts, band, choir, orchestra, musical arts, mariachi and theater for their achievements,” Edinburg North High School Band Director Chad Dempsey said. The students’ recognition is part of the Edinburg Rotary’s Student of the Month Program, which highlights two senior students from each high school. “All of these students are going to be highly successful in music or any of the arts that they have done,” Dempsey said. “Their work ethic will carry them way past their high school years.” From left: Edinburg High School senior Keyla Contador; Edinburg High School senior Abraham Vergara; Edinburg North High School senior Maegan Carithers; Edinburg North High School senior Mathew Salinas; Economedes High School senior Alejandra Ibarra; Economedes High School senior César Tovar; Vela High School senior Grace Sexton; and Vela High School senior Miguel López. Miguel “Mike” Farías, Vice President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, also serves as a member of the ECISD Board of Trustees.

Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR

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Edinburg’s retail economy in January 2018 registers 9.29 percent improvement over same month in 2017, according to Edinburg Economic Development Corporation

By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]

Edinburg’s retail economy during the first month of 2018 registered a 9.29 improvement over the same month in 2017, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced.

The Edinburg EDC, of which Joey Treviño is the Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of Mayor Richard Molina, Mayor Pro-Tem David Torres, Councilmember Homer Jasso, Jr., Councilmember Gilbert Enríquez, and Councilmember Jorge Salinas.

The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Councilmember Enríquez as President, Edinburg School Board Trustee Miguel “Mike” Farías as Vice-President, Councilmember Salinas as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Molina and Mayor Pro Tem Torres as Members.

The amount of local sales taxes collected helps reflect the strength of an economy, along with construction activities, per capita income, education, historical performances, and related trends.

The local sales tax is also used in Edinburg to help pay for many city services, while the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation uses its one-half cent local sales tax to help generate economic development in the city.

Edinburg’s retail economy in January 2018 produced $1,719,772.83 in local sales taxes, compared to $1,573,510.98 in January 2017 – an increase of 9.29 percent.

Under the reporting system maintained online by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, for all public entities which generate local sales taxes, year-to-date totals begin in November of each year.

Between November 2017 and January 2018, Edinburg’s retail economy has generated $5,511,251.75 in local sales taxes, compared with $5,345,401.03 from November 2016 and January 2017, an improvement of 3.10 percent.

In terms of local sales tax revenue for January 2018, McAllen led all major Valley cities with $4,454,866.63, while Brownsville was second, ($2,721,606.09), Harlingen was third ($1,972,172.17), and Edinburg was fourth ($1,719,772.83).

The sales tax, formally known as the State Sales and Use Tax, is imposed on all retail sales, leases and rentals of most goods, as well as taxable services. Texas cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts have the option of imposing an additional local sales tax for a combined total of state and local taxes of 8 1/4% (.0825).

All data, which under the reporting system used by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, begin in November of each year and end in October of the following year.

How Key Valley Cities Performed In January 2018 and January 2017

All figures are based on sales made in January 2018 by businesses that report tax monthly, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, that he would send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $670.9 million in local sales tax allocations, 8.3 percent more from the January 2017 local sales tax collections.

The local sales tax data is among the latest economic barometers featured in a detailed summary provided by the state comptroller’s office.

Among its many duties, the Texas Comptroller’s office is the state’s chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator and treasurer.

Based on the amount of sales taxes generated, according to the state comptroller’s office, the Valley’s major cities ranked accordingly in the following local sales tax figures:

January 2018 compared with January 2017

• McAllen: $4,454,866.63, up 7.88 percent compared with January 2017 ($4,129,303.57);
• Brownsville: $2,721,606.09, up 5.23 percent compared with January 2017 ($2,586,308.57);
• Harlingen: $1,972,172.17, up 11.46 percent compared with January 2017 ($1,769,340.94);
• Edinburg: $1,719,772.83, up 9.29 percent compared with January 2017 ($1,573,510.95);
• Pharr: $1,405,923.17, up 8.12 percent compared with January 2017 ($1,300,217.38);
• Mission: $1,237,502.51, up 10.15 percent compared with January 2017 ($1,123,407.13); and
• Weslaco: $949,875.87, up 7.87 percent compared with January 2017 ($880,548.11).

November 2017 through January 2018, compared with November 2016 through January 2017

Under the reporting system maintained online by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, for all public entities which generate local sales taxes, year-to-date totals begin in November of each year.

From November 2017 through January 2018, based on the amount of sales taxes generated, compared with November 2016 through December 2016, the Valley’s major cities ranked accordingly in the following local sales tax figures:

• McAllen: $16,365,993.25, from November 2017 through January 2018, up 4.08 percent compared with November 2016 through January 2017 ($15,723,197.43);

• Brownsville: $9,813,409.99, up 5.45 percent from November 2017 through January 2018, percent compared with November 2016 through January 2017 ($9,305,776.09);

• Harlingen: $6,574,274.71, from November 2017 through January 2018, up 8.76 percent compared with November 2016 through January 2017 ($6,044,422.78);

• Edinburg: $5,511,251.75, from  November 2017 through January 2018, up 3.10 percent compared with November 2016 through January 2017 ($5,345,401.03);

• Pharr: $4,620,488.41, from November 2017 through January 2018, up 10.34 percent compared with November 2016 through January 2017 ($4,187,282.73);

• Mission: $3,925,089.28, from November 2017 through January 2018, up 0.21 percent compared with November 2016 through January 2017 ($3,916,499.15); and

• Weslaco: $3,163,688.98, from November 2017 through January 2018, up 2.82 percent compared with November 2016 through December 2016 ($3,076,679.34).

For details on local sales taxes generated in December 2017 by individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, visit the Comptroller’s Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports.

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Cantú contributed to this article. For more information on the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation and the City of Edinburg, please log on to http://edinburgedc.com or to http://www.facebook.com/edinburgedc

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