There had been an increasing trend until 1991 and a decreasing trend since this year. Net proceeds of mines will continue to be a decreasing revenue source in future years. The combined tax base shows that the overall trend in per capita tax revenues is declining. Generally, the tax base study shows that Nye County has less tax base per capita now than it had ten years ago. A significant concern is the volatility of the sales tax base, which is becoming the most important of the three predominant revenue sources.
Local governments receive revenues from various sources.
Some sources are relatively stable while the business cycle and growth of the community affect others. The community needs to have sufficient revenues to provide the necessary services while having a mix of revenue sources that will not be too sensitive to any downturn in the local economy. The elastic revenue sources are that sensitive to the business cycle. If the share of revenues coming from elastic sources is rising, this may forebode problems in the event of an economic downturn. A community's tax rates are an indicator of whether the tax base is keeping pace with growth or whether higher rates are needed to finance necessary services for growth.