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Finance staff: sales tax roughly flat; one-time revenue likely needed to balance 2026 budget
Summary
Leslie, finance staff for Joplin City, told the council Aug. 18 that August sales-tax collections were roughly flat year-over-year and that updated 2026 projections (1.5% sales growth assumed) mean the city will likely need one-time revenue to balance the budget.
Leslie, finance staff, told the Joplin City Council informal meeting on Aug. 18 that August regular sales tax was up about 1% compared with August of last year, leaving overall collections essentially flat year-over-year; use tax was down roughly 12% for the month but is up about 4.2% year-to-date. Marijuana-tax receipts, Leslie said, appear to have returned to anticipated timing after a short-term variance.
Leslie said the city’s operating revenue through July 31 is about $785,000 above budgeted levels while operating expenditures are about $1.8 million below budget, driven in part by capital timing. “If our projections are correct we will need our one-time revenue in order to balance our budget,” Leslie told the council, describing a revised sales-tax growth assumption of 1.5% for the 2026 proposed budget (down from an earlier 2% assumption).
Councilmembers asked about capital purchases. Leslie said the city currently has two fire trucks on order and estimated unit cost in the neighborhood of $1,000,000 to $1,200,000 each. She noted that some capital timing is affecting the year-to-date variance in expenditures.
The presentation closed with no formal vote. The council reserved further questions and moved on to other business; Leslie said staff would update projections in the 2026 proposed budget materials.
