By Rupert Howell

Sales were down again in September according to sales tax figures  from the Mississippi State Tax Commission. Those figures show the  City of Batesville received three percent less than the previous  year’s collections for that month and two percent less than August.

Municipalities receive approximately 18 percent of the total amount  collected of the seven percent sales tax.

Batesville received $283,725 as its share. Since July 1, when the  state’s fiscal year began, Batesville has received $877,496, a decrease of six percent over the same period last year.

If good news is to be found in the report, it would be that the  city’s decrease was slight compared to the state’s overall decrease  of eight percent.

Another bright spot is that the city’s Tourism and Economic  Development Tax showed an increase of seven percent over the previous year’s  monthly reporting period.

That tax is a three percent tax on  restaurants and motels that is used by the city to pay for Batesville  Civic Center and infrastructure.

The city realized $84,958 in revenue compared to $79,570 last year.

Several small hamlets in the area recorded increases indicating to  some, that people are shopping closer to home.

Panola County municipalities received disbursments and percentage of  increase or decrease over the previous year’s September’s collections as: Como, $15,646,-13; Courtland, $2,148, +40; Crenshaw, $4,163, +19;  

Crowder, $1,597, +17; Pope, $3,114, +42; and Sardis, $27,980, -3.

Other nearby municipalities received payments for their share of  sales tax collected followed by percentage of increase or decrease:  

Charleston, $28,542, +1; Clarksdale, $222,898, -3; Grenada, $323,241,  -3; Lambert, $3,090, +16; Marks, $20,985, -3; Oakland, $6,035, +52; Oxford, $494,015, -20; Senatobia, $152,376, -9; Sledge, $1,599, +16  and Water Valley, $42,315, +3.

Sales tax has a three month cycle.  Month 1: tax is collected by the retailer.  Month 2: tax is reported/paid to the Tax Commission by the retailer.  Month 3: sales tax diversion is paid by the Tax Commission to the cities.  

This report is based on the tax collected at the Tax Commission in September and reflects sales made in August.