Sales tax receipts down 5% in Austin

Austin-area consumers are being a bit more stingy.

For April, Austin will take in $13.4 million in sales tax revenue -- down more than 5 percent from the same time last year, according to the state comptroller.

Texas collected $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue in April, down 1.8 percent compared with the same time last year.

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Sales growth is below the double-digit pace of the past two years, in part, because of the slower expansion of the Texas economy in 2008, says Texas Comptroller Susan Combs. Still, local Texas governments received $554.4 million in sales tax allocations, up 2.2 percent compared to the same time last year. According to the comptroller's office, sales tax allocations to cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts are up 5.4 percent compared to a year ago.

Sales tax payments to date from the state are $63 million.