Aurora reports stronger-than-expected September sales tax; year-to-date near projection

Bill Levine, budget office economist, told the Management and Finance Policy Committee that the city collected $25,000,000 in sales tax in September — 4.7% higher than September 2024 — and that month’s variable collections drove much of the gain.

“Once again, we had fairly strong variable sales tax collections,” Levine said, noting about $1,100,000 in variable receipts in September and that year‑to‑date collections are about $145,000 below the projection. He added that general fund operating revenues overall are about $5,000,000 above projection, which reduces immediate concern about the shortfall in sales tax.

Levine said three sectors are driving most of the growth: industrial sales, electronics and computers, and a category he called “other top taxpayers,” which includes large online retailers such as Amazon. Industrial sales are up “a 100 and 189%,” Levine said, and electronics and computers are up roughly 30% year‑over‑year. He cautioned that a portion of gains reflect large, one‑time business‑to‑business transactions and variable taxpayers.

Council members asked about the role of online sales. Levine said staff track a dozen top taxpayers and will re‑send the sector breakdown to committee members; he noted online growth accelerated during 2020–21 and has continued at a lower but still elevated pace.

The presentation concluded with committee members thanking staff; no formal council vote was recorded on the presentation.