By JANIE SLAVEN<br>Record Staff Writer
WHITLEY CITY — The latest quarterly report for occupational tax revenues show the county is outpacing its collections from last year.
A total of $235,958.51 was collected for the second quarter (October 1-December 31) of the 2009-10 fiscal year. During the same period of the 2008-09 fiscal year, the county collected $213,716.45. The monies were collected between November 17 and February 16.
Tax administrator Stephanie Tucker’s salary is withdrawn from the total each quarter, as are expenses for the office and refunds. Which leaves $224,989.25 — a gain of more than $20,000 over the same quarter last year — to be distributed as follows:
• 22 percent or $49,497.63 for General Fund (including three deputies);
• 20 percent or $44,997.85 for Ambulance Services;
• 20 percent or $44,997.85 for Economic Development;
• 20 percent or $44,997.85 for Parks;
• 10 percent or $22,498.93 for Jail;
• Five percent or $11,249.46 for 911; and
• Three percent or $6,749.68 for Tourism.
The second-quarter figures are up considerably from the $155,156.29 collected in the first quarter of the new fiscal year. In addition to being above the second-quarter collections from last year, this quarter's figure is just below the $237,976.11 collected in the second quarter of the 2007-2008 fiscal year.
While collections on the one-percent tariff have yet to fall short of budgeted projections for a fiscal year, Judge-Executive Blaine Phillips’ ultimate goal of $1 million has eluded county government since the tax was approved in 2004.
The county collected $988,937.31 for the last fiscal year — well above the projected $900,000 in the county budget.
