Eating out and gassing up vehicles are two of the six biggest taxable sales categories fueling day-to-day Manteca city operations.
The just completed municipal audit for 2023 noted overall taxable sales reached $1.889 billion in Manteca in 2023.
The category of all other outlets that encompasses places like American Modular Systems, Amazon, BF Funsten & Company Flooring, and other distribution centers topped the list at $588 million.
The other places basically represent concerns that have sales offices — or Manteca is the point of sale — but don’t maintain traditional storefronts.
General merchandise stores such Walmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Target was the top category for traditional retail at $281 million and No. 2 on the overall list
Right behind general mechanize stores were eating and drinking places at $202 million (No. 3) and then service stations at $190 million (No. 4).
Rounding out the top six categories were auto dealers and at supplies at $185 million (No. 5) and other retail stores at $180 million (No. 6).
All other outlets increased by 170 percent since 2014 for the biggest gain of any category.
As such, it underscores the economic important of the city landing online distribution centers such as the Amazon facility on Airport Way or BF Funsten Flooring on South Main Street.
The top 25 businesses that deal in taxable sale, generate 55.09 percent of the city’s basic sales tax which is 1 cent on the dollar.
The balance of the basic sales tax, 5.75, goes to the state. There is also a half cent city sales tax for public safety accounted for separately as well as the recently approved 20-year, three-quarter cent Measure Q temporary sales tax.
Of those 25 businesses that were the big collector of sales tax, there were the predictable firms: Manteca Ford, Bass Pro, Blue Compass RV, J.M. Equipment Co., Target, Ross, TJ Maxx, Walmart, Country Kia, Cabral Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat, Costco, Amazon Living Spaces Furniture, and American Modular.
What might surprise some is the top 25 sales tax collectors in Manteca includes Chick-Fil-A.
Chick-Fil-A is the first restaurant to rank in the top 25 sales tax generators, a position they claimed every full year they’ve been open since launching sales at the Yosemite Avenue location during the pandemic.
Chick-Fil-A recently opened its second Manteca location on the southwest corner of the Airport Way and 120 Bypass interchange.
The list also involves five gas stations, including three Arco AM/PMs.
That might strike some as odd but every gallon of gas sold has built in sales tax on the price charged at the pump.
Manteca businesses are expected to ring up roughly $2 billion in taxable sales over the 12-month period starting July 1.
If that happens, it will nearly double the $1.03 billion in taxable sales recorded in 2014.
The $2 billion in sales will generate sales tax that will account for 24.7 percent of the adopted $80.5 million general fund revenue that will help cover day-today city services such as police, fire, streets maintenance and such during the fiscal year starting July 1.
The only source of general fund revenue for Manteca that is larger is property taxes. They are expected to account for 31 percent of the general fund.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com