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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

State tax revenues for May surpass forecast

Here's a news item from The Associated Press:  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — May tax revenue beat forecasts by $4 million, moving Idaho closer to balancing its reduced 2010 budget with a month to go in the fiscal year. House Majority Leader Mike Moyle said May collections — about $144 million, according to preliminary figures — trimmed the budget shortfall through the fiscal year's 11th month to $9.5 million, down from a $13.5 million shortfall after April. Still, Moyle remains concerned because of May sales tax receipts, a harbinger of economic activity, trailed expectations after exceeding them a month earlier. Lackluster sales-tax numbers were offset by a jump in miscellaneous tax revenue, including from mining activities. Moyle said, "You don't bet the bank on miscellaneous mine tax revenue. The numbers you need to watch are June." State economist Mike Ferguson has forecast Idaho will collect $238 million this month.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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