By Rupert Howell

Batesville’s has received over $1 million during the state’s fiscal year ending June 30 through its three percent tourism and economic development tax according to figures released by the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

It is the first time the tax on food and lodging has gone over the million mark reaching $1,077,815, an 8.2% increase over the last fiscal year. Collections for June put the figure over one million when $92,166 was collected, a five percent increase over the previous June.

Sales tax collections increased during May for almost all local municipalities over May 2011 with Batesville receiving a $329,995 diversion payment which represents approximately 18 percent of the seven cents sales tax on retail business sales.

That figure represents a six-percent increase over the previous May’s collections and year-to-date totals indicate a four percent increase in sales with Batesville receiving $3,856,079 during the state’s fiscal year.
Batesville’s six percent May increase and four percent yearly increase beats overall state gains by one percent in each category.

Diversion checks for other Panola County municipalities were received in the amount of with monthly and yearly percentage of increase or decrease as follows: Como, $13,383, +7,+1; Courtland, $1,747, +48, +22; Crenshaw, $4,711, -2, +1; Crowder, $2,290, +26, +35; Pope, $3,965, +13,+14; and Sardis, $27,650, +6, +2.

Collections of the Sardis tax on food and lodging was virtually unchanged compared to June 2011 with $7,991 collected.

Como’s food and lodging tax was up 13 percent with $4,327 collected.

Other local municipalities received the following diversion payments in for their share of sales tax with the amount of change over the previous May as follows: Charleston, $28,861, +10; Clarksdale, $229,386, +4; Grenada, $344,680, +2; Lambert, $3,427, +27; Marks, $20,910, +11; Oakland, $5,959, +6, Oxford, $550,319, +7; Senatobia, $158,308, +5; Taylor, $2,344, +11 and Water Valley, $41,010, +8.