Sales tax revenue figures for 2010 released by the state Department of Revenue last week provided a mixed bag for the North Olympic Peninsula.
Two cities saw slight increases in the revenue they generated: Port Angeles (2.44 percent) and Forks (5.5 percent). Unincorporated Clallam County saw the largest bump of 5.67 percent.
Port Townsend and retail-dominant Sequim, on the other hand, both registered slight drops in revenue (0.25 percent in Sequim and 0.61 percent in Port Townsend). Unincorporated Jefferson County registered the largest drop of 13.4 percent.
Sales tax figures from the last four years show that many of the areas are struggling to return to pre-recession levels.
Forks and Port Townsend are the only exceptions.
The West End town, perhaps seeing the benefits of Twilight tourism, has seen the largest growth since 2007. Sales tax revenue has grown there by about 18 percent in the last four years, from $40 million to $48.9 million.
The revenue is shared with the state, county, Clallam Transit and also goes into special funds for public services such as mental health treatment, emergency communications and criminal justice.
Though sales tax revenue stagnated in Port Townsend last year, the two previous years were times of growth. In 2007, revenue was at $182.8 million. In 2010, it was $187.3 million.
Other towns remain below their 2007 figures.
Port Angeles generated $374.26 million in 2007 and $312.6 million in 2010.
Sequim generated $307.5 million in 2007 and $260 million in 2010.
Data for unincorporated Jefferson and Clallam Counties were not available for 2007 and 2008.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
