Arkansas revenues up 4.8 percent in August (UALR Public Radio) - Arkansas state revenues in August were up $16.2 million from a year ago, a 4.8 percent increase in actual dollars and a 5.4 percent rise above forecast, Arkansas fiscal officials reported Wednesday.

The net general revenues for last month came to $350.7 million. The net total for the year was $7.2 billion, or 5.2 percent above last year. The yearly figure also amounted to $38.8 million more than last year's total, for a 5.7 percent jump.

"We're glad to be up but we don't want to read too much into these numbers," said Tim Leathers, deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.

Leathers said he expects a jump in payroll tax figures seen last month will drop in September and the state also will see figures fall slightly after consumers spend all their federal economic-stimulus checks. The department would need a month or two more before it could gage any overall economic trends after starting the fiscal year in July, he said.

Leathers also said the latest revenue figures don't yet show a need to revisit a decision to cut $107 million from state agencies' budgets for the current fiscal year. Gov. Mike Beebe has said he'll consider restoring some of that funding if revenues come in above projections.

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