Columbus received nearly $50,000 more in sales tax diversions for this month than it did in November 2013.
Returns from the Mississippi Department of Revenue totaled $727,524 this month, according to data provided by Columbus Chief Financial Officer Milton Rawle. This month’s check to the city reflects 18.5 percent of what city retailers collected in September. Last November, the city received $677,580.
Combined with last month’s return, which was a $32,580 increase over what the city received in October 2013, the city has an $82,523 head start for the first two months of this fiscal year compared to the last one.
Rawle told city councilmen Tuesday night that, while revenues are up, so are bond obligations, including a $5 million levy for street improvements and a tax increment financing plan for the retail development where DICK’s Sporting Goods and Michaels are now located.
“We have about three or four TIF bonds that will be coming online over the next few months,” Rawle said. “There’s a 100 percent property tax commitment and a 50 percent sales tax commitment, so even though sales taxes are up, understand that some of that money will go to help pay the bond.”
Perhaps not surprisingly with the traffic generated by a successful football season at Mississippi State, Starkville’s returns for this month were also up significantly over the previous November. The city received a check from MDR for $532,513 this month compared to $496,970 in November 2013. That’s a $35,543 difference.
Revenues for West Point, however, were down significantly. Last November, the city’s check from MDR was $188,597. This month’s revenue was $145,567, a decrease of more than $43,000.
On the bright side, tourism tax returns were higher than the previous November. This month the city received $19,920 in tourism revenue. In November 2013, that number was $17,168.
Columbus restaurant revenues, which fund the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, were also up from last November. The CVB received $122,131 this month compared to $112,527 in November 2013. The city also collected more in hotel tax revenues with $20,927 this month, an increase of $3,380 over the $17,546 observed 12 months ago.
Starkville tourism tax diversions were not available at press time.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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