COLORADO SPRINGS —Colorado Springs sales tax collections jumped 8.95 percent in September from a year earlier, the largest year-over-year gain since March, the city reported Thursday.
The September collections, totaling $10.56 million, reflect purchases made in August. The September gains come on the heels of weak August collections that reflected a slowdown in the local tourism industry after the Waldo Canyon fire. Sales tax collections so far this year are running 4.8 percent above the same period last year.
Collections of use tax jumped 43.73 percent in September over last year; use tax is collected on manufacturing equipment, building materials and other items bought outside the city for use in the city.
Sales and use tax collections fund more than half of the city’s annual budget for police and fire protection, roads and other services. Sales tax is also a primary measurement of consumer spending, making it a key barometer of the vitality of the local economy.
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