MOORPARK : Tax Revenue Jump Puzzles Officials

Moorpark sales-tax revenues jumped about 25% from mid-May to mid-August compared to the same period the previous year, prompting city officials to launch an investigation into the welcome but surprising increase.

“My first reaction is that it’s excellent news, right in the depths of this recession, and it may be a forerunner of some real improvement,” said Mayor Paul W. Lawrason Jr. “Until we know where it’s coming from, it’s hard to speculate.”

City officials learned last week that sales tax revenues had risen from Moorpark’s usual approximately $200,000 per quarter to more than $240,000 over the period from mid-May to August. With no new businesses in town to account for the increase, city staff was asked to investigate.

City Manager Steve Kueny said Monday that the study is ongoing and has yet to produce any answers. “We’re taking a look at it to see what the specific reasons are,” Kueny said. “Whether there were a number of delinquencies that perhaps just came in from a prior period or if one or more businesses had a jump in sales.”

Robert Abrams, Moorpark Chamber of Commerce president, said he was encouraged by the report but had not heard of increased sales from any of the city’s merchants.

“That’s great news,” Abrams said. “I don’t know what to attribute it to.”

Moorpark now earns about $36 annually in sales tax revenue for each of its 26,000 residents. Nearby Simi Valley earns $62 per resident and Thousand Oaks takes in $118 per resident.

City Council and mayoral hopefuls have accused the current council of not doing enough to stimulate the local economy and have used sales tax revenue as an indication of the city’s alleged failure to attract retailers.