KEN KREFFT
Contributing Columnist
The city of Shreveport's 2.75% sales tax receipts for November were $12,573,666.90. The year-to-date total is $135,010,677.57. In 2020, the yearly total was $127,214,946.91, though 11 months’ collections are far ahead -- $7,795,730.66 ahead -- of all of 2020.
Clearly, it is past time to grant the 13% public safety pay raises discussed in a few prior columns in this publication. Once the final December sales tax figure is added to the 11-month total, the city should be about $20 million above last year.
Recall that the sales tax is by far the largest single source of general fund revenues. It should exceed 60% of all general funds this year, a record. A general fund budget ordinance is appropriate for introduction at the first January 2022 city council meeting.
The December 2021 sales tax collection data will be known on Jan. 3.
On a separate note, on Nov. 13, Louisiana voters rejected three of four constitutional amendments. The first would have set up a state commission to be the collector of all sales taxes collected. Although it passed 51-49% in Caddo Parish, it failed 52-48% statewide.
Our fine professionals at the Caddo-Shreveport Sales & Use Tax Office, thus, will continue to collect local sales taxes.