MORTON – Not all the business news from COVID-19 pandemic-plagued 2020 was bleak.
The village of Morton received 3.8% more sales tax revenue from the state during 2020 than it did in 2019.
The exact figures, according to Village Administrator Julie Smick, were $4,436,796 in revenue in 2020 compared to $4,273,140 in 2019, an increase of $163,656. Other nearby communities, meanwhile, saw small dips in their revenue.
Business adaptability was key to keep revenue flowing
So how was this feat achieved? In large part because of never-say-die small business owners like Keely LeTourneau and Carol Davis.
"It's very simple. We wouldn't have survived if we stayed stagnant. We had to adapt, or fail," said LeTourneau, owner of Sucre Sweets and Socials at 321 S. First Ave.