By Rupert Howell

Recently released figures indicate Batesville and surrounding areas are making an economic comeback with indicators showing a nine percent increase over the same period last year.

Many other Panola municipalities showed sizable increases also.

Batesville received $367,241.70 as its share of sales tax collected during the December reporting period. That figure represents approximately 18 percent of the seven cent sales tax collected on retail purchases within the city limits.

That figure is also two percent above the amount reported for December 2008 and four percent below the “high water” year of 2007 before the economic crisis hit.

December’s figures are generally higher than other months due to the Christmas holiday. The December disbursement to the City of Batesville was 23 percent above the amount received for November collections.

Mississippi Department of Revenue figures indicate a total sales tax collection in Panola County of $2,511,002 collected on sales of $39,490,429.

Other Panola County municipalities received the following amounts as their share followed by the percent of increase of decrease over last December as: Como, $15,582, +23; Courtland, $1,768, +55; Crenshaw, $5,956, +66; Crowder, $1,631, +3; Pope, $4,270, +225 and Sardis, $28,237, +5.

Other nearby municipalities received the following amounts with percentage of change from last December as: Charleston, $29,105, +1; Clarksdale, $256,266, +3; Grenada, $362,687, +4;  Lambert, $2,668, no change; Marks, $21,934, +7; Oakland, $5,949, +12; Oxford, $573,143, +4; senatobia, $176,658, +7; Sledge, $2,019, +50; Taylor, $1,698, -3; and Water Valley, $41,512, +1.

Batesville Tourism and Development tax, a three percent tax on hotels and restaurants, remained unchanged with $85,736 collected representing January purchases.

Year-to-date figures are up nine percent as Batesville has received $598,444 since July 1, 2010.

The City of Sardis Tourism Tax brought in $7,329 during the month of January, slightly lower than the $7,506 received for January 2010.

Overall collections for the State of Mississippi were up five percent for the month and three percent for year-to-date with $37,604,127 returned to municipalities.