THE news ROOM

1/17/2020

By J. NOEL ESPINOZA
Special to the NEWS

With nearly a half-million more in sale taxes revenues in 2019, San Benito’s economy is expanding with more businesses in the downtown area and a call center employing more than 120 employees.

Rebeca Castillo, Executive Director of the San Benito Economic Development Corporation, said 2019 has definitely been a better year than the previous one.

“We closed the year, in total up to December, in terms of activities our allocations of funds increased by half-a-million dollars compared to 2018,” Castillo said.

Castillo said the increase of sales tax revenues indicates the growing number of small businesses and a large employer that recently moved to town.

“It’s a mix-thing,” she said. “We do have over 22 more small businesses in downtown.”

With rent and facade grants available to new small businesses, Castillo said the city has been able to increase its tax coffers and provide some businesses with money to open up new ventures in the area.

“That’s been a good opportunity for small businesses to open shop,” she said. “That has created a little bit more, I guess, more options for the local community.”

According to a January 2020 sales tax report released by the Texas-State Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Resaca City took in $76,602.10 more in sales taxes last November when compared to Nov. 2018.

San Benito closed December 2019 hitting the over $5M mark, with $451,533.69 additional sales tax dollars in 2019 compared to 2018.

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full story, click here or make sure to grab a copy of the Jan. 17-23, 2020 issue of the NEWS.