By Rupert Howell

Latest sales tax figures indicate Batesville’s December sales tax collections were down one percent from December 2012 while collections for the fiscal year currently remain two percent ahead of the former fiscal year.

Batesville received $365,736 in February for their share of the sales tax collected during the month of December. 

That amount is approximately 20 percent of the total amount of sales taxes paid, with the state obtaining the remainder to fund their services.

Batesville has received $2,332,800 in sales tax disbursements since July 1 when the state’s fiscal year began.

Other Panola County municipalies received the listed amounts followed by the percentage of increase or decrease from December 2012 as follows: Como, $15,504.+43; Courtland, $1,217, +4; Crenshaw, $5,047, -16; Pope, $2,245, -46 and Sardis, $24,907, -3.

Other nearby municipalities received the following amounts with change percentage as follows: Charleston, $29,797, +3; Clarksdale, $267,001, +6; Grenada, $369,656, -3; Hernando, $289,278, +1; Lambert, $1,727, -49; Marks, $20,410, +3; Oakland, $5,682, -7; Oxford, $663,606, +4; Senatobia, $185,786, +10; Sledge, $2,126, +4 and Water Valley, $41,399, unchanged.