Why shopping local is the gift that keeps on giving

Missed the Black Friday sales, or looking to treat yourself this holiday season? Not only does shopping locally save you the nail biting of waiting for your packages to arrive — it also benefits your community!

When you purchase taxable goods and services in Round Rock, you pay 8.25 percent in sales taxes. 6.25 percent goes straight to the state of Texas, and the other 2 percent stays here in Round Rock.

Here’s the breakdown:

1 percent goes into the general fund to pay for basic local government services like police, fire protection, parks and the library. This covers more than one-third of the cost of these essential services.

A half-percent of Round Rock’s sales tax directly works to reduce your property tax rates, thanks to a measure passed by Round Rock voters in 1987. Round Rock’s property tax rate is 14 cents lower than it would be without the half cent sales tax for property tax reduction.

The last half-percent of sales tax is for economic development – primarily in the form of major road projects. Since voters approved this additional sales tax in 1997, the City has leveraged the $293 million collected by this half-cent into $533 million worth of projects. 

There are plenty of great shopping centers and retailers in town, so what are you waiting for? Shop local — it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

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GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO SHOP

Want better roads? How about better parks? All you have to do is Shop the Rock. Seriously, head over to the outlets and buy those shoes, or venture downtown for lunch. It doesn’t matter if you are shopping, dining or getting a haircut your dollars are helping to pay it forward and build our community. What makes this possible? Sales tax. Though it may be the least sexy tax, it is the hardest working one. So next time you see a shirt you love, buy it. Your city will thank you.