The effects of the recession during 1990-1992 resulted in decreased taxable sales per capita. Taxable sales per resident actually decreased between 1986 and 1996. For Lyon County it is relatively insignificant. Generally, the tax base study shows that Lyon County has slightly less tax base per capita now than it had ten years ago. This indicates that there are slightly fewer resources per resident and should be a cause for concern.
Local governments receive revenues from various sources.
Some sources are relatively stable while the business cycle and growth of the community affect other resources. 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.