Sales tax numbers up as of April, but city preparing for drop

As of April, sales tax revenues for Newton remain ahead of last year, but the city is preparing for a decrease in revenue in the coming months. “Boy, they were sure shopping in March,” Newton Finance Director Donna Pickman said, explaining that it wouldn’t be till May or June when the city would have a better idea of how the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak would affect the city budget. “It’s kind of hard to know right yet,” she said. “We’re just holding the line.” As a whole, compared to 2019, total revenues for the first four months of the year totaled $1,762,000. That’s $44,000 higher when compared to the past year.

(Read more: Harvey County Now)