Nevada counties with big-box stores saw a big jump in general merchandise sales in March.
The statewide 18.6 percent increase was the result in a major jump in sales by a single retailer, said Marian Henderson of the Taxation Department. She was barred from giving specifics.
Even Churchill County reported a significant increase in the category — 8.7 percent to $3.66 million.
Churchill County had a record month, reporting a 117 percent increase in total sales to $49.7 million. The reason was $21.3 million worth of building construction, many times the less than $42,000 in construction reported a year earlier. Churchill also had significant increases in sales of wholesale durable goods, at 44 percent; vehicle sales, 18.4 percent; and home furnishings sales, 131 percent.
That, along with a statewide 7.4 percent increase in car sales, helped give the state a 5 percent increase in total sales in March, to $4.1 billion.
Churchill County Comptroller Alan Kalt said the reason for the big jump is attributed to the constrution at the Dairy Farmers of America milk plant and the Patua geothermal plant west of Fallon.
Both facilites have receivd tax abatements from the state, so the actual monthly figure for March, according to Kalt, is $25.4 million, an 11 percent jump from 2012. That will then put the yearly total to $67,000 more than 2012 for a 1.8 percent jump.
Kalt said any construction-related taxes will be abated; however, he said taxes collected by the bars or restuarants are usually not abated.
Although the federal government’s sequestration of automatic cuts began in March, Kalt said it may not affect the county for several months. While the state and county will not see as much tax money, Kalt said the increased sales will benefit the various merchants and services in Churchill County.
Other categories also reported significant improvements over a year ago. Accommodations were up 36.8 percent and construction industry categories were up 115 percent as the economy continues to recover in Nevada.
In Carson City, the increase was 57.6 percent, to $15.8 million. In Douglas County, general merchandise sales were up 23.9 percent, to $7.9 million. Clark and Washoe counties reported increases of 16.4 percent and 25.1 percent, respectively. Carson City reported $71.56 million in taxable sales, a 10.9 increase over a year ago. Auto sales were up significantly — 8 percent, to $19 million.
Douglas County saw a 7.7 percent overall increase, to $49.5 million, aided by the general merchandise sales. But food services and drinking places, Douglas’s largest category, was up 10.1 percent to $11.6 million.
Lyon County was one of the few counties that saw a decrease in taxable sales for March. The decrease was 29 percent to $27.1 million.
Although general merchandise sales increased 15 percent, that was more than offset by a huge reduction in electrical equipment, appliances and other manufacturing. That category saw a massive increase a year ago, when $11.1 million in sales was reported.
Storey County reported a 40.6 percent increase, to $8.45 million.
Clark County reported $2.98 billion in sales, a 6.8 percent increase. Washoe reported a 7.1 percent increase, to $498.6 million.