Comptroller Susan Combs has sent cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts their first sales tax allocations of 2010, $405.2 million, which is down 11.8 percent compared to January 2009.

Kingsville, Bishop and Kleberg County started the new year with sales tax revenue that is less than January of 2009.

Combs said the state collected $1.65 billion in sales tax revenue in December, down 11.6 percent compared to December 2008.

Kingsville received $268,021.63 for its January allocation compared to $294,213.65 last year for a drop of 8.90 percent.

City of Bishop received $9,906.22 compared to $12,473.50 last year for a drop of 20.58 percent.

Kleberg County received $98,544.13 for January compared to $108,240.73 last year for a decline of 8.95 percent.

City of Driscoll received $2,969.17 compared to $3,115.88 last year for a decline of 4.70 percent.

“Declining sales tax collections, beginning in February 2009, have now extended through December 2009,” Combs said.

“As has been seen the past several months, collections are down across most major sectors of the Texas economy, including oil and natural gas, construction, manufacturing and retail trade.”