Sales tax collection is up in Clinton County despite fewer Canadians crossing the border at Champlain.
Local Sales Tax Collection can be a bellwether of how business is doing in a given area. A report, recently released by the Comptroller’s office, shows Clinton County saw a healthy increase in sales tax collection, up 4.9%, during the first half of the year. Reports of a reduction in Canadian crossings at the border suggested the opposite might happen and the area could expect a downturn in business. The Chairman of the Clinton Country Legislature, Mark Henry, shared a couple of thoughts on this dichotomy. First, he suggested the reduction in numbers could be from “pass through” travelers; those who would travel to NY City or other destinations. While Henry said this is a guess on his part, he pointed out that Clinton County welcomes Canadian tourists to the area. The Legislative Chairman said he’ll have a better understanding of the numbers in September because another possibility is people stocked up on goods ahead of possible tariff increases.