By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – The city of Slidell reported its eighth consecutive month of growth in sales tax revenue with the most recent report updating the numbers.
After the 2015 fiscal year ended in June of last year with a 2.66 percent increase in revenue compared to 2014, the long-awaited upswing in sales tax money has continued in solid fashion for the 2016 fiscal year, which ends on June 30.
Slidell has seen increases in sales tax revenue in every month of the 2016 fiscal year, compared to those same months from 2015.
In February of 2016, the most recent report available, Slidell turned in one of its strongest months of the year with a 4.01 percent increase in dollars compared to February of 2015.
Slidell recorded $1.469 million in February, 2016, compared to $1.412 million the previous year. Sales tax revenue makes up approximately 50 percent of the city budget for the year, which is just over $40 million.
For the 2016 fiscal year after eight months, Slidell is now 3.74 percent ahead of its strong showing in 2015, making it appear the City Council and mayor will have a substantial amount of supplemental money to spend later this year, perhaps over $3 million.
The February showing with 4.01 percent better than 2015 was the fourth month in the fiscal year with over a 4 percent increase.
The 2016 fiscal year began last July with a strong performance, posting a 6.07 percent increase, followed by a 6.01 percent increase in August, compared to the previous year.
September still posted a strong showing with a 2.42 percent increase in 2015 compared to the 2014 numbers, followed by another big month with a solid October when the city pulled in 6.22 percent more than the year before.
Although November through January dipped to increases of 2.31%, 1.99% and 1.42% at a time the new Fremaux Town Center was expected to turn in big performances for the city, the February showing at 4.01 percent proved that the city is still moving forward in strong fashion.
The 2015 total of sales tax revenue for the fiscal year finished at $18.85 million, the highest total in six years, and 2016 appears on track to substantially beat that total.
Now at 3.74 percent ahead of 2015, city leaders are seeing the consistent and steady increases they had been waiting for. The Town Center’s Phase II opening late last year is considered a key component to the surge in sales tax money for Slidell and Phase III for the Town Center retail is in the planning stages at this time, officials with Stirling Development reported.
Once the fiscal year is finished the City Council and mayor will have to agree on how to spend any money above the budgeted revenue for the year. That supplemental budget must be spent on one-time expenditures only and cannot be used for any recurring expenses.
One key project the city has considered for the past two years is to provide funding to bring the Tammany Trace into Slidell’s Heritage Park from its current ending point near Thompson Road.
City Councilman Bill Borchert, who has spearheaded Slidell’s work to meet with parish officials and get funding from the parish to assist in the Trace, said he is again hopeful the city and parish will combine to get the Trace finished.
That plan is apparently making headway with the parish agreeing to use BP Oil settlement money to provide over $1 million for the project that will take the Trace out through the back of Camp Salmen, across Carroll Road and down West Hall Avenue, and then take a right at Bayou Lane to come into Heritage Park.
More meetings are planned with the city and parish to be certain both sides are on the same page with funding and the plan, with the city is providing grant money that will construct part of the Trace near Carroll Road to get across that busy highway.
Pearl River continues to show strong sales tax growth as well, now 9.17 percent ahead of its 2015 numbers, even after a decline of 9.89 percent in February.
Mandeville and Covington are showing modest growth with Mandeville at 2.42 percent ahead of its 2015 totals, while Covington is 1.47 percent ahead of last year’s numbers.