By Rupert Howell

Panola County’s gross retail sales has grown 12.16 percent during the current fiscal year while Mississippi’s gross retail sales dropped 6.71 percent during the same period according to figures of the Mississippi State Tax Commission.

The two-year comparison shows Panola’s gross retail sales grew from $324,702,414 to $364,190,774 during the comparison time that began July 1, 2009, and goes through the most current month, March in this case.

Batesville’s sales tax collections are usually high when compared with municipalities with similar or larger size populations.

State figures (shown at right) represent the municipalities’ estimated 2005 population and latest share of sales tax which is approximately 18 percent of the total collected within that municipality.

While Batesville has long been labeled as “a good business town,” location is given partial credit for sales tax figures that are comparatively high to other towns and municipalities the same population or larger.

The location explanation would include the crossroads of Highways 6 and 51 years ago, and 6 and 55 at present. Also included in that explanation is the many smaller towns that “feed” Batesville employers by day and stores and services afterward.

Nearby towns such as Marks, Lambert, Charleston, Enid, Oakland, Crenshaw have limited retail outlets and smaller Panola municipalities including Como, Sardis, Pope and Courtland certainly do their part in contributing to the amount of retail business done within Batesville’s borders.

South Panola School District pulls many students into town with four of its five schools located within Batesville’s limits and transient traffic along the I-55 corridor businesses also are a big contributor.

Batesville Tourism and Economic Development Tax is a 3-percent tax imposed on gross income of restaurants, hotels and motels located in Batesville.

This levy is in addition to all other taxes imposed and became effective January 1, 1994, and is scheduled to be repealed July 1, 2017.

Year-to-date figures, July 1, 2009, through April 2010, indicate the City of Batesville has received $795,890 which is almost five percent more than received for the same period during the state’s previous fiscal year.

April figures revealed Batesville received $93,416, which is an increase of 20 percent over last April 2009 figures.