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Durango sales tax revenues increase

Car dealerships up 10.3% compared with year ago
Jeanne Costello selects staff picks at Maria’s Bookshop during World Book Night in 2012.

Sales tax receipts to the city of Durango grew 4 percent in April from a year earlier, continuing a long run of improving retail performance in the city.

April marked the 53rd consecutive month sales tax receipts were up from the same month a year earlier. The streak dates to December 2010.

The April receipts reflect sales that occurred in March because the city’s sales tax reporting lags actual sales by a month. For the year, tax receipts are running 4.7 percent ahead of 2014.

Peter Schertz, co-owner of Maria’s Bookshop, said the Main Avenue store has seen sales that are “pretty consistent” with the city’s figures, about 5 percent ahead of last year.

“It seems like all of downtown seems to be doing great,” Schertz said. “(Downtown) seems to be thriving. There are pedestrians everywhere.”

Schertz said he’s already seen strong tourist traffic. “The shoulder seasons have kind of evaporated, it seems,” he said.

The numbers are particularly impressive given nonexistent inflation. The Consumer Price Index actually declined 0.2 percent for the 12 months ending in April, driven largely by cheaper energy.

“Downtown Main, I think people have been very pleased with what they’re seeing with revenues,” said Jack Llewellyn, executive director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce.

Llewellyn said the construction industry seems to be picking up, fueling some economic growth. He cautioned, however, that there’s no sign of a turnaround in the area’s natural gas and oil industry.

Tim Walsworth, executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District, said downtown retailers are doing well.

“I have heard anecdotally from a few merchants that the year has started off great, and these numbers reflect that,” he said.

Tax collections from northern Durango dipped in April, but the yearlong trend remains positive for that part of town.

Among industries, automotive performed particularly well. Tax collections from vehicle dealerships jumped 10.3 percent in April compared with a year ago. For the year to date, the automotive sector was up 3.5 percent.

cslothower@durangoherald.com



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