El Paso County’s May sales tax collections fell 2 percent below forecasts, but county officials aren’t ready to say it’s a sign the recession is easing.

“Whether this is a blip or whether we see a stability setting in, only time will tell,” county finance director Nicola Sapp said Thursday.

Previous months’ totals were as much as 10 percent below forecasts.

The county took in roughly $5.6 million in May compared to budget forecasts of $5.7 million.

So far this year, sales tax is about 7.7 percent below predictions, putting the county on track to fall $3.5 million short of its forecasted $67.5 million total this year.

“We predicted we would be down in a down recession cycle, so this is no great surprise,” Commission Chairman Jim Bensberg said.

No mid-year budget cuts are expected.

The brightest spot is use tax collections, which soared by 326 percent in May compared to a year ago. The increase occurred after the county handed collections of the tax due on construction materials to the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. Colorado Springs collected the tax previously.

In May 2008, the city collected about $39,000 for the county. This May, collections stood at $168,000. Through May, the county collected 62 percent of last year’s total.

Other parts of Sapp’s report weren’t as rosy.

Compared to last year, the county has collected 9.7 percent less sales tax revenue in the first five months of the year, and fees charged by several departments are lower than expected.

For example, interest on investments was forecast to bring in $650,000 this year, but so far has yielded only $131,070.

The budget calls for the Public Trustee’s Office to bring in $321,723 in fees this year but it’s generated only $29,228. The main reason: Trustee Tom Mowle reduced foreclosure records’ mailing charges to actual costs rather than flat fees.

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