Sales down for first time all year in Snowmass

September was the first month of the year to see a drop in sales tax revenue for the town of Snowmass Village, according to a report issued last week.

Revenue collected in September from the town’s 1 percent sales tax totaled $47,194.09, a 16.2 percent drop from the same month in 2012, according to a report by the town’s Finance Department. Snowmass Tourism officials said the primary reason for the drop was low attendance at the Balloon Festival on Sept. 13 through 15.

The festival usually draws many Front Range visitors, who were likely deterred from making the trip because of the massive floods that struck the area, officials said.

Balloon events also were canceled due to weather on two of the three mornings that the festival had some scheduled. However, merchants on the mall and in Base Village benefited from inclement weather during the Sept. 14 Night Glow, which encouraged attendees to move indoors. And the Wine Festival that day was the most successful the Snowmass Village Rotary Club has seen.

The Finance Department’s report divides businesses into industry categories. It does not report on individual businesses.

Industries that saw increases in sales revenue were sports equipment and clothing, 54.9 percent; and food, drug and liquor, 3.2 percent. Categories with decreases were lodging, 15.4 percent; restaurants, 12.4 percent; general retail, 27.7 percent; special events, 98.6 percent; miscellaneous, 36.1 percent; and utilities, 2.2 percent.

Lodging accounted for about a quarter of of all sales in September.

The summer season from June through September still finished with sales tax collections 7.8 percent higher than the same timeframe last year. Sales for the first nine months of the year are up 12.5 percent from the same period in 2012, according to the report.

jbeathard@snowmass sun.com