Maurice sales tax revenue falls in Janurary

MAURICE — It is not a surprise that sales tax revenue would be down in January, as many consumers curtail spending after the Christmas Holidays in December.
The Village of Maurice brought in just under $100,000 in sales tax during the last month of 2014. Numbers from the first month of this year left some room for disappointment.
“We knew it was going to go down from December,” Maurice Mayor Wayne Theriot said. “I was anticipating that it would go down to about $60,000 or a little bit below.
“So it’s about $10,000 to $12,000 below what we expected.”
The village collected $48,444.19 in January. That is on pace with the $48,330.46 Maurice took in during the same time in ‘14.
“Our sales tax had been increasing over the last 12 months,” Theriot said. “Looking at that led to anticipating a larger number this January.”
Theriot said he feels the price of oil, which priced at $46 a barrel Monday morning, definitely plays a role in the decreased sales tax.
“It doesn’t have a direct effect,” Theriot said. “We do have some oil service companies, but our citizens are not able to spend as much as they did in the past. A lot of their jobs are oil-field related.
“They are being cautious.”
That leads to less spending at local businesses.
“You are going to curtail buying some luxury items,” Theriot said. “You may not be going out to eat or purchasing supplies for big meals. Your entertainment dollars are a little more scrutinized. You’re going to limit big-ticket items.
“The price of oil doesn’t directly affect us like it does the state, but it is a secondary because it affects spending of citizens.”
This one month being down does not create a dire situation. However, Theriot said he will continue to anticipate lower sales tax revenues in the near future. As as result, Theriot has informed department heads to heavily scrutinize spending.
“I have asked each department head to monitor spending in their departments,” Theriot said. “We need to weigh the benefits of all expenditures and conserve where possible.”
The move is meant to be proactive.
“If we take a conservative approach,” Theriot said, “we can prevent a need for a budget cut in this fiscal year.
“Hopefully we can weather this without having to make any mandatory cuts.”
The village’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Officials will begin to discuss the upcoming year’s budget in May and June.
“All of this will be taken into consideration,” Theriot said of the current economic climate.
That climate led to some steady numbers, compared to the same time last year, for other entities in Vermilion Parish. The Vermilion Parish Police Jury brought in $891,022,80 (up 2 percent from Jan. ‘14). The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Department collected $445,511.67 (up 2 percent). The City of Abbeville collected amassed $270,739.26 in the first month of the year. The Town of Erath brought in $20,329.69, while the City of Kaplan finished with $54,003.82.
As far as Theriot is concerned for Maurice, the hope is things rebound in the coming months. If that is not the case, the village will work to be prepared.
“We want to stay abreast of the situation and not be blindsided,” Theriot said. “I would rather look hard at it now rather than have to start doing some drastic things when you are way behind.
“I am sure all of the other entities are doing the same.”