ALBANY — Local government sales tax revenue declined by 5.2 percent in October compared to the same month last year, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
October’s sales tax collections totaled $1.4 billion for counties and cities, or $74.4 million less than in October 2019.
The drop was less severe than previous declines since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, however. In the spring, collections fell by double-digits. Overall, local government collections in 2020, from January-October, are down nearly $1.6 billion, or 10.4 percent compared to the same period in 2019.
Locally, from January through October, sales tax collections were down 3.3% in Saratoga County and 19.5% in Saratoga Springs.
“Statewide local sales tax collections have declined year-over-year for eight straight months,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Our local governments are on the forefront of the pandemic response and they need financial aid from the federal government to help them get through this crisis.”
According to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, demand for hotel rooms in Saratoga County is down 37.6% versus the same time in 2019 through the first ten months of 2020. As a result, Saratoga County’s 2020 revenue per available room is down 49.8% vs 2019. Demand for hotel rooms in Saratoga Springs is also down 41.2% and revenue per available room down 53.3% in the first ten months of 2020 versus the same time in 2019, according to the Chamber.
