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No Beach, No Blue Wahoos, No Baseball stadium, No Fish House restaurant.... Poor Bastards.... Maybe we should go help them "Improve themselves""
FOLEY, Alabama -- Retail sales bounced to record levels this summer, with tax revenue topping the peak set during the economic boom seven years ago, city officials said.
Foley municipal sales tax income set a one-month record in July at $1,226,000, Mike Thompson, city administrator said. That revenue tops the previous record of $1,212,000 set in 2006, he said.
In July 2012, the city took in about $1,178,000, Thompson said.
That record, however, could be short-lived as sales continue to climb, Thompson said.
“The July figures are for sales in June, which is received by the city in July,” Thompson said. “We’re anticipating that the July numbers will be better than the June numbers, I’ve very confident.”
The final payment of July sales taxes had not been received as of Friday. Thompson said the city has received $1,214,000 in August with one final payment scheduled from the Alabama Department of Revenue. He said that check should bring the figure close to $1.25 million.
Sales throughout the summer have been strong for local retailers, Tom Knighten, general manager of the Tanger Outlet Center in Foley, said.
“It’s been strong for the last couple of years,” he said. “This summer’s been very good. We had some rain and that brings people in when they can’t go to the beach, but things overall have been very good.”
He said some days this summer have passed records for the Christmas shopping rush.
“The sales tax holiday in August, Aug. 2, 3 and 4, has become busier than Black Friday,” he said.
Knighten said recent moves by several national retailers, including Under Armour, Lens Crafters and Adidas, to open stores in the Foley mall is another sign of the improving economy.
Thompson said revenue from other city taxes is also increasing, but has not set records.
Lodging taxes collected in July were also up, from $53,438 a year ago to $57,281 in 2013, an increase of 19.4 percent, he said.
The city will increase its lodging tax rate in October from 4 percent to 7 percent. Officials plan to use the additional money to support the operations of a sports center to be built by the city.
The City Council voted Aug. 5 to increase the tax. At the Aug. 19 meeting, one motel operator told council members that local businesses were not aware that the hike was planned.
Pankaj Patel, operator of America’s Best Inn, said officials should have notified area businesses that will be affected before the tax was passed.
“The immediate threat is that we are going to lose business,” he said. “We will benefit in the long run when business increases.”
Council President Wayne Trawick said officials had intended to notify local businesses.
“Somebody dropped the ball on that one,” Trawick said.
FOLEY, Alabama -- Retail sales bounced to record levels this summer, with tax revenue topping the peak set during the economic boom seven years ago, city officials said.
Foley municipal sales tax income set a one-month record in July at $1,226,000, Mike Thompson, city administrator said. That revenue tops the previous record of $1,212,000 set in 2006, he said.
In July 2012, the city took in about $1,178,000, Thompson said.
That record, however, could be short-lived as sales continue to climb, Thompson said.
“The July figures are for sales in June, which is received by the city in July,” Thompson said. “We’re anticipating that the July numbers will be better than the June numbers, I’ve very confident.”
The final payment of July sales taxes had not been received as of Friday. Thompson said the city has received $1,214,000 in August with one final payment scheduled from the Alabama Department of Revenue. He said that check should bring the figure close to $1.25 million.
Sales throughout the summer have been strong for local retailers, Tom Knighten, general manager of the Tanger Outlet Center in Foley, said.
“It’s been strong for the last couple of years,” he said. “This summer’s been very good. We had some rain and that brings people in when they can’t go to the beach, but things overall have been very good.”
He said some days this summer have passed records for the Christmas shopping rush.
“The sales tax holiday in August, Aug. 2, 3 and 4, has become busier than Black Friday,” he said.
Knighten said recent moves by several national retailers, including Under Armour, Lens Crafters and Adidas, to open stores in the Foley mall is another sign of the improving economy.
Thompson said revenue from other city taxes is also increasing, but has not set records.
Lodging taxes collected in July were also up, from $53,438 a year ago to $57,281 in 2013, an increase of 19.4 percent, he said.
The city will increase its lodging tax rate in October from 4 percent to 7 percent. Officials plan to use the additional money to support the operations of a sports center to be built by the city.
The City Council voted Aug. 5 to increase the tax. At the Aug. 19 meeting, one motel operator told council members that local businesses were not aware that the hike was planned.
Pankaj Patel, operator of America’s Best Inn, said officials should have notified area businesses that will be affected before the tax was passed.
“The immediate threat is that we are going to lose business,” he said. “We will benefit in the long run when business increases.”
Council President Wayne Trawick said officials had intended to notify local businesses.
“Somebody dropped the ball on that one,” Trawick said.