Texas cities got their reduced share of sales tax receipts for December last week. According to State Comptroller Susan Combs sales tax collections, which reflect retail sales, were down 14.2 percent for the month)

Combs sent $618.2 million in local sales taxes to cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts.

Collections continue to be down in major industry sectors like retail trade, oil and natural gas production, construction and manufacturing," Combs said.

The last time Texas showed a sales tax gain was in January, 2009, a full year ago.

In the major cities Houston showed a 14.92 percent decline in sales for the first two months of the new fiscal year (Nov. & Dec.) while Dallas sales were down 11.27 percent.

Austin and San Antonio did better, Austin actually shows a gain of 4.0 percent for the same two months and San Antonio sales were down 2.44 percent.

In the Rio Grande Valley McAllen sales were up 1.60 percent, Brownsville sales were down 7.35 percent and Harlingen reports sales losses of 6.34 percent.

In Willacy County, the City of Raymondville got checks from the state totaling $201,734.47 for the two months as sales slipped by 10.30 percent against November and December, 2008.

Meanwhile, little Lyford is showing gains of 8.97 percent in retail sales and got checks totaling $ 5,887.87 for the two months at the end of the year.