Erie County’s sales tax revenue is running behind last year’s pace but the summer’s “Cash for Clunkers” program provided a welcome boost, the comptroller’s office said.

Sales tax revenue in September was 4.91 percent below that of the comparable month in 2009, and over the first nine months of the year, collections are down 4.06 percent. Comptroller Mark Poloncarz noted in his report that the County Legislature amended the budget to account for a 5 percent drop in sales taxes this year.

Poloncarz also said the national “Cash for Clunkers” car sales pitch resulted in $1.2 million in new sales tax revenue while also vehicle sales taxes amounted to $2 million.

Copyright 2009, Business First Buffalo