Batesville’s sales tax collection trend continues up

By Rupert Howell
Latest sales tax figures show an increase of four percent while showing a decrease  of five percent for the tourism tax in the city of Batesville for the month of October.
Batesville received $366,555 as its share (approximately 18.5 percent of total amount collected) on the seven percent sale tax within the city limits, approximately $13,000 more than received last year for purchases during the month of October.
The Tourism tax, a three percent tax on prepared food and lodging for the same time period, decreased from $104,317 in October 2015 to $98,819 this October. The year-to-date totals for that source of income remained level with the city receiving $506,137 since July 1.
Year-to-date figures for sales tax income has increased three percent with Batesville receiving $1,857,067 since July.
The town of Como’s sales tax receipts increased notably, up 26 percent from October 2015 with $16,773 coming back to the town. That town’s tourism tax also increased, up four percent to $5,941, but shows a decrease of four percent since July 1 with $27,930 in collections.
Also in the tourism tax area, the town of Sardis showed a significant increase of  12 percent receiving $9,637 and a healthy increase of 15 percent in year-to-date totals  amounting to $48,977.
Sardis is still reeling from the Walmart store closing last January that put sales tax receipts in a decreasing slump. Officials in that town are hoping the slump will disappear as the store’s takeover by Dollar General gets more familiar with shoppers.
Other Panola County municipalities received the following amounts as their share of sales tax collections with the percentage of change from the previous October as follows: Courtland, $1,702, +2; Crenshaw, $4,761, -17; Crowder, $2,151, +8; Pope, $3,606, +15.
Other nearby municipalities received the following with percent of change: Charleston, $29,155, -4; Clarksdale, $293,730, +33, Coffeeville, $9,878, -3; Greenwood, $347,553, -2; Grenada, $353,339, -1; Lambert, $2,539, +51; Marks, $16,319, -18; Oakland, $6,017, -2; Senatobia, $184,521, +2; Water Valley, $42,308, +2.
Statewide figures indicate a one percent increase in the amount of sales tax diverted back to municipalities totaling $35,247,239.