By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Buoyed by an upswing in sales tax revenues, City of Yukon leaders reminded the public this week to shop at stores inside Yukon city limits.
Yukon’s “year-to-date” sales tax collections are 12% higher than the same period last year, City Manager Tammy Kretchmar reported.
“I would like to thank all the Yukon residents who are shopping local,” Kretchmar said. “We appreciate this very much. This enables us to purchase more capital and repair our buildings.
“I just can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.”
Calling the steady increase in sales tax revenue “wonderful news,” Yukon Mayor Shelli Selby echoed Kretchmar’s sentiments.
Selby, at the last city council meeting of her second year as Yukon’s mayor, again implored Yukon citizens to spend their tax dollars wisely.
“Just a reminder – south of 10th Street is Oklahoma City,” Selby said April 19.
“So, shop north of 10th.”
N.W. 10th is the boundary between the City of Yukon and City of Oklahoma City.
Yukon city officials encourage residents to stay on the north side of 10th Street to spend money at businesses like Lowe’s, Staples, Kohl’s, Target, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Atwood’s, Homeland, PetSmart, Fuzzy’s Tacos, Hideaway Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, Logan’s Steakhouse, Hawaiian Bros., and Chili’s; among many others.
All sales from stores in the Czech Hall Marketplace – south of Interstate 40 and west of Czech Hall Road – benefit Oklahoma City’s tax coffers.
Home Goods will be the latest addition to this retail development that already features Crest, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Marshalls, ULTA Beauty, Burlington, Petco, Ross, Five Below, Cheddar’s, Mo Bettah’s, Hooters, and LongHorn Steakhouse.
Sales tax revenue is the life blood of Oklahoma’s municipalities, fueling local government operations.
31.2% IN APRIL, 12.7% IN MARCH
City of Yukon sales tax collections have been trending upward in 2022, Oklahoma Tax Commission data shows.
Yukon received a $2,235,624 disbursement in April that primarily represents local tax receipts from February business.
The City of Yukon’s April’s collection was 31.2% more than the $1,702,576 received in April 2021.
Statewide, this month’s municipal sales tax receipts were up 24.1%.
Yukon sales tax revenues nearly reached $2 million in March, when the city’s disbursement from the state totaled $1,982,740 – a 12.7% increase from $1,758,753 collected in March 2021.
Statewide, cumulative March municipal sales tax collections increased 0.52% over last year.
Financial analysts note that higher prices caused by inflation have contributed to the uptick in sales tax revenues.
The City of Yukon receives monthly sales tax disbursements from the state tax commission based on a 4% local tax rate.
Yukon’s overall sales tax rate is 8.85%, including 4.5% for the State of Oklahoma and 0.35% for Canadian County.
