Nevada taxable sales up 10 percent

Thursday, July 22, 1999 | 10:11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Strong business in Southern Nevada's bars and restaurants helped push state taxable sales to $2.3 billion in May, an increase of 10 percent from a year ago.

There were also hefty increases statewide in the sale of cars, home furniture and general merchandise that allowed Nevada to post a double digit increase for the fourth time in five months this year.

David Pursell, director of the state Department of Taxation, which released the figures Wednesday, said, "This is pretty encouraging."

Pursell said the eating and drinking business in Clark County "was really up."

"We think the Mandalay Bay is a big contributor," he said, noting the 18.3 percent increase in that business category.

Car sales in Clark County are "doing really well," up 18 percent, he said.

The May report, he said, reflects a "pretty steady economy." It's fueled, he said, by the continued construction in Southern Nevada. Both the Paris and the Aladdin and part of the Resort at Summerlin are still under construction.

The department said taxable sales in Clark County reached $1.693 billion, up 12 percent, and Washoe County business increased by 7.4 percent to $400.9 million. "Nevada is still feeling the effects of the growth in Southern Nevada," he said. Taxable sales in Clark County in May accounted for 71 percent of the state's total.

In Washoe County, Pursell said, building materials rose 24 percent and miscellaneous retail sales shot up 43 percent. His staff, he said, believes that's due to the construction of strip malls on South Virginia Street in Reno.

Carson City merchants posted a 7.1 percent gain to $62.3 million in taxable sales; Elko County fell 5.1 percent to $56.3 million; Douglas County rose 4.4 percent to $36.8 million and White Pine County was off 7.3 percent, down to $8.5 million.

Some of the biggest gains statewide came in sales at bars and restaurants, up 14.7 percent. Auto business grew 11.6 percent; miscellaneous retail jumped 19.3 percent; general merchandise stores were up 16 percent and home furniture rose 23.4 percent.

Eating and drinking businesses in Clark County produced $332.3 million in taxable sales, up more than $50 million from a year ago. Sales of home furniture grew to $93.9 million, up 28.2 percent, and car sales rose to $235.1 million, up 18 percent. General merchandise stores posted a 20.6 percent increase in business to $132.7 million in taxable sales and building materials and hardware supplies inched up 1 percent to $105.6 million.

Collections from the statewide sales tax reached $169 million in May, up 11.2 percent. That money is divided among the state, school districts and cities and counties. Receipts from the cigarette tax totaled $4.8 million, up 22.7 percent, with that money being split between the state and the counties.

Liquor taxes yielded $1.4 million, up 8 percent. The motor fuel vehicle tax grew only 1.8 percent to $24.5 million.