Sales tax revenues up across region

Lead by big increases in the region's major retail centers, sales tax revenues received by cities across northeast Mississippi surged this month on May retail sales.

Overall, taxes received were up in 48 of 94 towns across the region compared to the same month last year. But most of the negative numbers were in the region's smallest communities while West Point, Starkville, Columbus, Tupelo, Oxford, Pontotoc, Amory and most other large towns saw increases.

For instance, West Point's receipts were up 12 percent over last year, from $174,698 to $195,877. The city's numbers not only benefitted from a growing retail base but also reflected the end of a $19,000 a month repayment the city had been making to the state for an overpayment of sales tax revenues previously.

In the budget approved last month, the Board of Selectmen projected a $200,000 annual increase in sales tax revenues because of the end of that repayment.

Starkville's were up 6.6 percent from $566,557 to $603,984. solidifying its hold as the region's fourth largest retail center behind Tupelo, Columbus and Oxford. Corinth is a close fifth.

Columbus' revenues were up 6.3 percent, reversing a four-month slide. The numbers, up from $843,284 to $896,472, finally showed signs of spending related to recovery from the Feb. 23 tornado that damaged a wide swath through the heart of the city and led to two deaths.

July sales tax revenues reflect taxes collected on May retail sales. Merchants collect the taxes in May, turn them over to the state in June and the state returns 18.5 percent to the cities where they were collected in July. Taxes collected on retail sales outside city limits all go into the state's general fund.

Overall across the state, sales tax revenues were up 2.9 percent. In northeast Mississippi, they were up a robust 3.1 percent.

May traditionally is one of the biggest revenue months because of graduation spending and the start of summer vacations.