December sales tax diversions in Columbus and West Point rose from a one-month slump in November, while Starkville’s revenues continued to rise year over year.
Columbus received $964,505 from MDOR this month, marking a 5.36% improvement from December 2022 ($914,144).
The city has received $2,883,028 so far this fiscal year, compared to $2,865,320 in December 2022, marking a marginal 0.6% rise.
Sales tax diversions run on a three-month window, in which they are collected by retailers one month, sent to MDOR the next and then disbursed to cities and counties the third. Therefore, December diversions generally reflect sales from October.
The city also saw a continued rise in its 2% restaurant sales tax, which helps to fund the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, recreation for the county and city and industrial development initiatives led by the Golden Triangle Development LINK.
It brought in $206,477 this month, compared to $194,599 in December 2022. That tax has collected $617,672 so far this fiscal year, compared to $566,332 by the same point in 2022.
The city’s 1% hotel tax brought in $54,597, marking a 26.6% increase from $41,767 in December 2022. So far this fiscal year, the city has received $135,348 from the tax, compared to $86,538 by this time last year.
Starkville
The city received $776,424 this month from the Mississippi Department of Revenue, up $48,902 from December 2022 ($727,522).
The city has received $2,384,940 so far this fiscal year, compared to $2,264,547 in December 2022, marking a 5.17% improvement.
According to figures released with its sales tax numbers, the city saw a rise in its 3% restaurant sales tax diversions, as well as in its 1% hotel tax as compared to this time last year.
The city received $391,376 in December restaurant tax collections — which assist in funding for economic development and tourism as well as sports facilities — a 0.9% rise from December 2022. Fiscal year to date collections of $1,224,057 are up 6.3% over last year’s $1,149,252.
The city’s 1% hotel tax, which funds recreation, brought in $26,200, compared to $22,844 in December 2022, marking a 13.6% increase. So far this fiscal year, the city has collected $77,011, marking a 17.1% improvement from this time last year ($64,857).
West Point
The city of West Point received $278,882 from MDOR this month, marking a 8.8% rise from December 2022 ($255,168).
So far this fiscal year, the city has received $1,491,040, up $51,404 from December 2022 ($1,439,636).
West Point’s fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30.
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