By Rupert Howell

Sales tax revenue received in the month of November by the City of Batesville decreased by eight percent over the amount received last November according to figures released by the Mississippi State Tax Commission.

The state figures show a continued decline in retail sales locally and across much of the state.

The City of Batesville received $270,299.96 as its share of the seven percent sales tax collected in October, reported in November and paid back to the municipalities in December. Municipalities received approximately 18 percent of the seven percent collected on retail and other sales within that municipality’s boundaries.

Collections in Batesville for the state’s fiscal year that began July 1 are down approximately 2.5 percent totaling $1,506,377 this fiscal year compared to $1,553,510 received during the same time frame last fiscal year that represents five months of the year.

The City of Batesville’s Tourism and Development Tax held steady compared to the previous year’s collection. Batesville receives the full three percent collected in hotels and restaurants with most of those funds going to pay a bank note on Batesville Civic Center and infrastructure improvements east of I-55.

The City received tax revenue of $70,642 for November and has received a total of $387,044 this fiscal year which is up over four percent from last fiscal year.

The City of Sardis figures showed a significant increase by receiving eight percent over what that municipality received last year in the form of sales tax diversions.

Sardis received $25,104 and is also showing a 14 percent increase in year-to-date figures having received $134,804 during the fiscal year.

Other Panola municipalities received sales tax diversions in the amount of, along with percentage of increase/-decrease for the month, fiscal year as follows: Como, $16,553, -4, 5; Courtland, $1,268,-29,-14; Crenshaw, $3,025, -18, -11 and Pope, $2,129,-2, +8.

Other nearby municipalities received revenue in the form of sales tax diversions in the amount of with percentage of change as: Charleston, $27,739, +2; Clarksdale, $221,369, -2; Grenada, $305,539, -4; Marks, $21,700, +3.5; Senatobia, $145,334, -9; Sledge, $1,270, -17; Oakland, $4,060; +41; Oxford, $522,614, -2 and Water Valley, $39,923, +8.

Total state returns indicate a one percent decrease for the month and approximately one-quarter of one percent decrease for the year-to-date.