Town sales taxes hit record in July

Better weather in May is probably why tourists again made La Conner their destination. The $55,179 collected in sales tax revenue is the first record high collection for its month in 2023, topping July 2022 by 2.3%. The state’s Department of Resources reports on a two month lag.

The special use fire tax barely reached its record, $29 over the July 2022 report, at $5,393, tracking sales taxes, as it does.

Most healthy, as it has been all year, was the hotel motel tax revenue, at $16,442, another record, 9% above July 2022.

The $9,874 in REET (Real Estate Excise Tax) revenue is $2,000 above 2021. There was no July 2022 total. Property taxes, at $1,412 were 52% below July last year.

The $3.5 million in town revenues through July are 62% of the year’s budget, on target across the 12 months. Town expenses to date are $2.8 million, only 39% of estimated annual costs. Unless major capital expenditures are made the next 4.5 months, annual expenses will be greatly below the year’s budget.

These totals are based on May collection from town stores and online purchases delivered to La Conner addresses and reported to town council from the state’s Department of Revenue.