Merchants sell nearly $2.4 billion in goods during May

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1999 | 6:57 a.m.

State revenues from taxes on the sales amounted to $46.7 million, up 6.4 percent for the month, according to a Taxation Department report released Tuesday.

When levies collected on sales for local governments and schools are added in, the July sales tax total clim fuel. That plus quarterly tax collections from 45 estates brought in another $69 million.

The latest report on Nevada sales follows a Gaming Control Board report that showed the state's cut of the money won by casinos in July was up 4.8 percent.

Combined, sales and gambling tax revenues account for two-thirds of the money needed to run state government.

A breakdown of the $2.3 billion in July sales shows that the Las Vegas area accounted for nearly $1.6 billion of the total, up 5.4 percent. The Reno area had sales totaling $404.3 million, up 5.3 percent.

A breakdown of sales categories shows food stores were up 5.4 percent and clothing stores were up 3.7 percent.