Hoover reports modest revenue gains for five months; lodging taxes lag, MSA designation draws attention

Hoover — City finance staff told the Hoover City Council on March 3 that overall revenues through the first five months of the fiscal year are tracking ahead of budget, but lodging-tax receipts are lagging prior years.

The presenter said combined regular sales-and-use-tax and the state-administered remote-sales-use tax (SSUT) are up about 3.7% for the five-month period compared with the prior year; SSUT alone rose about 12.5% for the same span. Real-property tax collections are at roughly 95% of budget for the year. The presenter said one category — lodging taxes — is “riding a little bit lower” than the roughly 41% of year elapsed.

Why it matters: sales and property taxes make up the bulk of Hoover’s general-revenue receipts and drive…