January a banner month for Churchill County taxable sales

Churchill County saw total taxable sales increase 20.3 percent in January to $19.39 million. Auto sales increased 30.8 percent to $3.34 million and sales by General Merchandise stores by 5.3 percent to just more than $3 million.

Churchill County finished January at $19,396,680 compared to $16,127,712 a year ago. For the year, the county is down 13 percent.

Lyon County’s numbers, though, were almost flat for the month, up just 1.5 percent to $24.9 million. Statewide, total taxable sales topped $3.8 billion, an 8.3 percent increase over January 2014 with double digit increases for construction categories, auto sales, General Merchandise stores and accommodations.

One of the major surprises occurred in Food Services and Drinking Places. The $2 million figure in 2014 rose to $3.6 million, thus resulting in a jump of 82.2 percent. Accommodations rose 28 percent.

The upward change in Churchill County, though, shows renewed movement in the alternative energy field and with petroleum-related activity; however, those tax numbers involving alternative energy such as geothermal and solar will be adjusted because of tax rebates approved by the Legislature.

Support Activity for Mining ballooned 4,000 percent from the same time in 2014, while Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing jumped more than 2,000 percent.

Another area that saw a significant increase came in Credit Intermediation and Related Activities as taxable sales were $11,936 in 2014, and $583,964 in January.

Clothing stores improved 398 percent from $143,533 to $715,590. Furniture stores improved 68 percent, while the electronics and appliance stores saw a 23 percent movement to $252,636.

January was a banner month for Carson City businesses with taxable sales rising 24.1 percent compared to the first month in 2014.

Carson City Finance Director Nick Providenti said while numerous types of businesses reported gains, the core of the increase centered on two major categories: auto and building materials sales.

Auto sales, the capital’s largest tax category, reported a whopping 42.7 percent increase to $21.99 million.

That is a reversal of the 10 percent decrease car dealers reported in December.

At the same time, sales of building materials rose even more — 57.3 percent compared to Jan., 2014. Total sales there were more than $6.6 million.

Providenti said that’s the second month in a row building material sales increased by more than 50 percent over the same month the previous year.

The area’s second largest tax generator, General Merchandise stores, reported a 7.3 percent increase to $10.4 million and the third biggest category, Food Services and Drinking Places jumped 9.4 percent to $7.66 million.

Food services, however, fluctuates according to whether the Nevada Legislature is in session since lawmakers meet every other year.

January saw the influx of lobbyists and others preparing for the 2015 session that started the first week of February.

In total, Carson City reported $70.2 million in sales, which Providenti said was the best January the capital has had since 2007.

But Food Services and Drinking Places in Churchill reported an 82.2 percent increase to $3.65 million.

Washoe County reported a 12.5 percent increase in taxable sales to $515.3 million and Clark County reported an 8.9 percent increase to $2.86 billion for January.

Douglas County also reported an 8.9 percent increase, again led by a massive increase in auto sales — 52.5 percent to $2.76 million.

That was backed up by an 11.8 percent increase in Douglas’s largest taxable sales generator, Food Services and Drinking Places — the Stateline casinos.

Electronics sales rose 27.5 percent in Douglas but that was offset by a 36.5 percent decrease in sales of building materials.

Total sales for the month were $46.4 million.