Helpful - Hope the trend continues (Midland, Odessa: sales, how much, upkeep)

[Mark Senior]

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Sales tax collections up in the beginning of the 2018 fiscal year

Time will tell if trend holds up. Tyler is too dependent on sales tax revenue, IMO, but it actually is, lol.

More dependent than most cities, because of the great low property tax rate. However, the property tax rate is too low to sustain, but the state restricts the city as to HOW much, in a percentage, a city can raise it's taxes each year, some cities have just gone nuts, raises taxes by 10% or more each year. New law have the lower that to a point that Tyler can only raise it between one to two cents each year.

Tyler's hope is to"hang in there" and raise taxes each year by the very SMALL maximum, until the rate gets to a more sustainable rate, which would still be ONE of the very lowest in the state, not near the LOWEST as it now, lowest for any city over 17,000 - 18,000 population.

Looks ok, this many, but Tyler save save, because increase may or may not continue. Any more cut backs in services and employees would start showing a significant damages to the city. Now, most people will not notice the city has cut back the park employees, thereby, the parks, other than the Rose Garden will soon this spring and summer show more needed upkeep.

Maybe "things" WILL work out ok. The city is and has been walking a very narrow tight rope for 3-5 years.

Most cities in the state, not Longview, or Kilgore, and other oil based economies, have been performing much better than Tyler in the last 3-5. Only last month has Longview recovered actually better than Tyler, and Kilgore back to huge gains after huge losses. Of course Midland and Odessa, especially Midland's sales taxes or booming again.