Economic recovery seems to be under way in Catoosa County.
That, in short, is what Chief Financial Officer Carl Henson told county commissioners last week.
Special purpose local option sales tax collections during the most recent 12-month period are showing steady improvement.
"We're seeing a good, solid 3 percent improvement over prior periods," Henson said.
He attributed an overall rebound in revenue to sales tax collection growth during the first four months of the county's fiscal year that began Oct. 1, 2010.
The local option sales tax receipts for January were 12.18 percent more than budget projections, 13.51 percent higher than December's receipts and 18.55 percent greater than for the same month one year ago.
These numbers show marked improvement, particularly when compared to 2009. But LOST receipts for the current year still trail - slightly - those of 2007 and 2008.
"We are starting to see some recovery in the economy," Commission Chairman Keith Greene said.
Greene pointed out that controlling expenditures has been key to the county's continued financial health and allowed a trimmed ship of state to weather the recent recession.
"We are on the right track," he said.
Commissioner Jim Cutler said the commission's decision to seriously control expenditures, even resorting to employee furloughs, over the past few years has paid off. There were no layoffs, essential services have been maintained and the county's reserve fund is intact.
"We are in the black," he said.