Taxable sales up 9 percent in Carson City

Statewide taxable sales notched a 3.3 percent increase in August over the same month of 2016, a total of $4.77 billion.

Churchill County had a banner month, growing total sales 17.2 percent to $25.9 million. The big increases there were in the Utilities category where sales nearly quadrupled to $1.94 million and Specialty Trade Contractors where the increase was 84 percent to $1.12 million.

Auto sales were up just 5 percent to $3.9 million and building materials 10.2 percent to $1.8 million.

Lyon County did even better, reporting a 31.2 percent increase to $45.55 million in August. Two huge increases were reported in Lyon. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing, a normally tiny category, increased in August from $110,843 to more than $3.2 million. The other huge increase was in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction which rose from just $40,488 a year ago to more than $1.6 million in August.

By comparison, Douglas County was flat, reporting just 2.8 percent higher taxable sales than a year ago at $63.99 million.

The county’s largest generator, Food Services and Drinking Places — south shore’s casinos — was up just three-tenths of a percent to $16 million, and No. 2, General Merchandise sales, rose 4.2 percent to a hair over $9 million.

But sales of building materials reported a healthy 10.8 percent increase to $3.69 million and auto sales rose 12.1 percent to $3.7 million.

Carson City, driven largely by building material and general merchandise sales, finished the month 9 percent up, reporting $9.38 million in taxable sales.

Auto sales, normally Carson’s biggest tax generator, increased just 2.5 percent in August to $27.1 million.

But building material sales were up 20 percent to $10.7 million and General Merchandise Stores reported a 14.7 percent gain to $14.6 million. Food Services and Drinking Places also had an excellent month in the capital, up 7 percent to $9.38 million.

In Washoe County, taxable sales were up 15.2 percent for the month to $757 million. Food Services and Drinking Places reported a 15.9 percent gain to $114.5 million and building materials were up 12.3 percent to $43.9 million.