Fremont County reports November tax collections close to 2023 levels; lodging and auto-use show gains

Sean Sutton, Fremont County budget and finance officer, told the Board of County Commissioners on the county's final meeting of 2024 that retail sales tax and auto-use collections through November were close to last year’s totals and ahead of the adopted 2024 budget.

Sutton reported October retail sales tax collections of $827,490, $28,346 more than October 2023, and year-to-date retail collections of $7,928,009, which he said is $18,614 less than 2023 but $1,053,009 ahead of the 2024 budget. Auto-use sales tax for November totaled $102,048, $6,305 below November 2023, with year-to-date auto-use collections at $1,584,322, $101,036 above 2023 and $415,572 ahead of budget. Lodging tax (quarterly/off-cycle) for October was $23,448, $12,767 higher than 2023; year-to-date lodging collections were $301,255.

"We'll continue to monitor these," Sutton said, adding that the county had seen a modest bounce back in October and that 2024 has been “holding level with ’23 in many ways.” He cautioned that 2025 could be uneven: "2025 could be equally as bumpy as we move on to this next kind of phase."

Commissioners and staff discussed that conservative budgeting helped the county avoid problems if revenues weakened. Commissioner Rowe noted county buildings will close early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve; other commissioners urged caution about wildfire risk during a dry season.

The board took no formal action tied to the sales reports; the figures will inform upcoming budget monitoring and year-end accounting.

Ending: The county will continue monitoring final year-end receipts over the next two months and adjust forecasts and budget actions as needed.