By Rupert Howell
While Panola’s smaller hamlets, towns and villages recorded decreased sales during October, local small cities and trade centers showed steady to large increases over October 2012.

The City of Batesville received $322,714 as its share of the seven percent sale tax collected during the recording period. That figure is approximately one-fifth of the total amount collected and does not include a three percent tax on lodging and food.

Gross sales for Batesville for October totaled $49,795,951 according to Mississippi Department of Revenue, and Batesville’s share was two percent over October 2012  with $1,930,239 in sales related tax received since July 1 in the city’s coffers.

A three percent tax on lodging and food has accounted for $447,068 according to the Department of Revenue — $80,274 of that coming from November sales. That figures was down six percent from November 2012 but the year-to-date figure is two percent above the previous fiscal year.

Other Panola County municipalities received the following amounts as their share (approximately one-fifth of the total amount) of sales taxes collected in the month of October as follows with percentage of increase or decrease as: Como $12,411, -10; Courtland, $1,271, -27; Crenshaw, $4,809, -5; Crowder, $1,385, -17; Pope, $2,335, -38 and Sardis, $$23,988, unchanged.

November collections for food and lodging taxes in Sardis were down in November from $7,704 in 2012 to $7,120 this November. Year-to-date collections, however are running 2.8 percent above last year.

The town of Como’s year-to-date figures are down 58 percent as legislation to authorize that tax expired following the death of late Representative Joe Gardner. Current Representative Lataisha Jackson is expected to introduce legislation re-authorizing the tax during this session.

Other nearby municipalities received the following amounts followed by percentage of increase or decrease as their share of taxes as follows: Charleston, $322,714, +2; Clarksdale, $215,085, -10; Grenada, $322,562, +1; Lambert, $2,578, -7; Marks, $19,013, -4; Oakland, $4,990, -11; Oxford, $704,501, +15; Senatobia, $165,665, +10; Sledge, $1,918, +18; Taylor, $2,680, +14 and Water Valley, $41,086,+3.

Statewide figures were up four percent for the month of October and for the year-to-date.