By Rupert Howell
The City of Batesville’s sales tax revenue was up indicating an increase in sales for the month of June with the city receiving $381,770 as its share—five percent above June of 2015.
The statewide average indicated a one percent increase while Panola County municipalities earned the following amounts with percentage of increase or decrease following: Como, $14,605, +20; Courtland, $1,646, unchanged; Crenshaw, $6,283, +15; Crowder, $2,031, +14; Pope, $3,255, -3 and Sardis, $24,332, -18.
The large Sardis decrease is tied to the closing there in January of the neighborhood Walmart Express which sent sales tax revenue upward for that town during its 13 months stay.
Dollar General has purchased that real estate with plans to open with meat and produce according to a news release from that company.
Other nearby municipalities received the following amounts with the percentage of increase or decrease from June 2015 following: Senatobia, $181,178, unchanged; Water Valley, $44,688, unchanged; Grenada, $382,248, +13; Clarksdale, $215,615, -3; Lambert, $2,526, +25; Marks, $18,559, -2; Oakland, $6,761, -3 and Oxford, $673,767, +7.
Tourism taxes for the City of Batesville showed a 10 percent decrease with the city receiving $106,053 from the three percent tax on restaurants and lodging.
The town of Sardis received received $8,526, an 11 percent decrease from the previous year’s corresponding month.
Como received $6,053 during the same reporting period with no comparison for the previous year when the tax was not imposed.
Municipal sales tax revenue is equal to approximately 18.5 percent of the total amount collected on the seven cent sales tax. Sales tax reporting figures are often used to measure the health of an economy in an area.