CLIPBOARD : Taxable Sales in Decline

First-quarter 1991 taxable sales demonstrated the continued hold the recession has on the county’s economy. Total taxable sales (including both retail and wholesale) dropped 6.1% when compared to the first quarter of 1990.

There were, however, some exceptions to the general trend. Six cities recorded better totals this year, most prominently La Palma, where sales jumped almost 55% from the year before. Buena Park’s nearly 14% drop marked the largest percentage decline.

Here’s how the cities’ taxable sales compare in thousands of dollars:

City 1990 1991 % Change Anaheim $705,734 $634,959 -10.0 Brea 152,022 150,345 -1.1 Buena Park 203,356 175,337 -13.8 Costa Mesa 501,234 473,078 -5.6 Cypress 66,254 70,946 +7.1 Dana Point 46,911 45,530 -2.9 Fountain Valley 150,280 150,368 +0.1 Fullerton 295,828 271,481 -8.2 Garden Grove 278,537 252,048 -9.5 Huntington Beach 372,460 333,802 -10.4 Irvine 481,655 475,235 -1.3 Laguna Beach 45,045 44,972 -0.2 Laguna Niguel 48,640 60,304 +23.9 La Habra 94,766 87,170 -8.0 La Palma 14,882 23,013 +54.6 Los Alamitos 45,308 42,646 -5.9 Mission Viejo 120,645 111,103 -7.9 Newport Beach 237,721 268,411 +12.9 Orange 432,417 396,943 -8.2 Placentia 62,791 56,235 -10.4 San Clemente 54,188 50,785 -6.3 San Juan Capistrano 76,228 66,995 -12.1 Santa Ana 583,124 534,390 -8.4 Seal Beach 26,433 26,091 -1.3 Stanton 60,728 53,088 -12.6 Tustin 195,578 191,297 -2.2 Villa Park 4,174 3,836 -8.1 Westminster 179,896 173,934 -3.3 Yorba Linda 37,711 48,367 +28.3 Unincorporated areas 296,775 280,169 -5.6 COUNTY TOTAL * $6,564,678 $6,164,363 -6.1

* Includes funds not allocated--money from those businesses that have no single facility or office. Source: State Board of Equalization