Sales tax slide

Commerce has dropped precipitously in San Bernardino.

City sales tax data show the city's sales tax revenue peaked at about $36.8 million in 2005-06. That figure dipped to an estimated $24.7 million for the fiscal year ending June 30.

San Bernardino's preliminary budget anticipates only $24.3 million in sales tax receipts for the upcoming fiscal year.

Sales taxes are only one of the city's money sources, but less cash has resulted in budget cuts enacted last summer and in February that deleted 173 jobs through layoffs and attrition. Those and other cuts were intended to slice about $51 million in spending.