The city of Woodcreek saw an unexpected increase in sales tax revenue this month, bringing in over double the amount it had this time last year.
Woodcreek, a city with a size a little over a square mile, has limited opportunities for sales tax revenue. But this month, it received a payment of $12,897.42 from the Texas Comproller’s office, 105% more than the $6,290.49 it received in April 2022. This payment is a reflection of 1% sales tax on sales made in Woodcreek in February.
To say it was not expected would be an understatement, according to City Manager Kevin Rule.
“I was surprised myself when I saw it,” he said. “We receive almost all of our sales tax from the golf course and the liquor store, and that’s about it.”
Rule attributed the dramatic increase to the Double J Ranch Golf Club (formerly Quicksand at Woodcreek), which recently came under the ownership of Joe Gambino, an avid golfer from Arizona.
“They’ve been making a lot of improvements,” Rule explained. “It’s always been a beautiful course, but they’ve really been updating the facilities and adding new carts and instructors.”
The re-opening and improvement of the course’s dining facilities, he added, has provided a wider range of options for (and a higher likelihood of) food and beverage purchases.
“I go down there once or twice a week,” Rule chuckled. “Probably more than I should, but they have really good burgers. And they keep on improving what they already have.”
“I think it’s really good for them but also really good for Woodcreek,” he added. “We’ll have to keep watching to see if it continues.”
Woodcreek, being mostly residential, is limited with regard to commercial business. By city ordinance, all lots are required to have no more than 30% impervious cover — human-made surfaces that do not absorb rainfall. As such, the area does not typically attract businesses that require parking and less green space, as are commonly found in nearby Wimberley, Rule explained. This can make it difficult to bring sales tax revenue into the city, limiting its budget for general operations.
“Most of our money comes from the ad valorem property tax, which brought in over $360,000 last year,” he said. “But we really have to pinch the pennies sometimes, and those of us that work for the city have to wear a lot of hats. We’d love to have a couple more businesses in the city, but the residents really like the neighborhood feel, and I don’t see that changing.”
If new businesses were to move in, Rule suggests, there are a few open lots along RR 12.
“But we’re pretty built out over here — as much as we want to be,” he concluded.
