Nevada sales hit $2.55 billion in August

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2000 | 5:01 a.m.

The sales generated $51 million in sales taxes for state coffers, according to a report Wednesday from the state Taxation Department.

Bar and restaurant sales, indicators of tourist traffic, were up 8.9 percent in August. General merchandise was up 8.4 percent and clothing stores were up 11 percent.

A breakdown of the August gain showed 7.9 percent growth in the populous Las Vegas area and 6.1 percent growth in the Reno area.

Merchants in Clark County, which encompasses Las Vegas, sold goods worth $1.8 billion in August. In Washoe County, encompassing the Reno-Sparks area, August sales totaled $436.1 million.

But eight of the state's 15 outlying counties reported sales slumps, led by Esmeralda County which was down 122 percent.

Besides Esmeralda, other counties with August slumps included: Eureka, down nearly 38 percent; Humboldt, down nearly 15 percent; Lander, down 19 percent; Mineral, down about 18 percent; Nye, down 11.6 percent; Pershing, down 1.7 percent; and White Pine, down about 10 percent.

Counties with month-to-month gains, besides Washoe and Clark, included: Churchill, barely up 0.3 percent; Carson City, up 8.8 percent; Douglas, up 15.9 percent; Elko, up 1.2 percent; Lincoln, up about 42 percent; Lyon, up 4.1 percent; and Storey, up 21.5 percent.