By Rupert Howell

Some retail store managers in Batesville were praising last weekend’s Tax Free Shopping Days with Burkes Outlet manager Angela McCullar stating, “It was kind of like Christmas.”

Passed by the Mississippi Legislature during its last session, the “Sales Tax Holidays” were allowed to give parents of school children a break while buying back-to-school clothes and supplies.

Describing sales on both Friday and Saturday, July 31 and August 1 as “real good,” McCullar said sales doubled goals both days.

A local Wal-Mart spokesman said the local super store realized a sizable increase in the tax free eligible areas.

Local Walgreens store manager John Pope said his store, “…did good. People liked it.”

The only downside to the event was that municipalities who depend on a portion of sales tax collected within their limits will probably take an additional hit when disbursements are returned by the State Tax Commission.

Those municipalities receive approximately 18 percent of the seven cents collected on each dollar spent.

Next year municipalities will have the choice of “opting out” of the sales tax holiday.

Both store managers McCullar and Pope would encourage city fathers to do it again next year.

Latest figures indicate that state was three percent below last year’s total collections with June figures nine percent below the amount collected for June of 2008.

The city of Batesville’s collection’s in June also indicated a decrease, although smaller than the state’s, of six percent. Batesville received $299,635. For the fiscal year ending June 30, the city’s figures indicated a five percent decrease in disbursements as compared to the previous fiscal year.

Disbursements made back to the city for the last fiscal year ending June 30 were $3,760,386.

The City of Sardis showed an increase of eight percent for the state’s fiscal year receiving $322,210. June’s collections for Sardis remained steady compared to the previous June with that municipality receiving $27,714.

Charleston’s retail sales also remain stable and were up six percent for the month of June with that municipality receiving $30,944. Charleston’s total for the state’s year end was up slightly at $340,686.

Crenshaw, Crowder, Oakland and Pope each showed increases over the same month last year. Crenshaw was up six percent receiving $3,787, Crowder was up 20 percent receiving $1654 and Oakland receiving eight percent more at $4,404. Crenshaw also showed a year-to-date increase of two percent receiving $43,444 in disbursements during the state’s fiscal year. Pope was up three percent at $2,317 for the month and up slightly for the 12 months reporting at $26,394.

Other local municipalities received disbursements in the amount of followed by percentage of increase and decrease as follows: Clarksdale, $238,555, -1; Como, $13,180, -35; Courtland, $1,414, -7; Grenada, $309,858, -9; Lambert, $2,729, -12; Marks, $21,539, -1; Oxford, $465,437, -8; Senatobia, $156,289, -9; Taylor, $1,848, -7; and Water Valley, $37,926, -13.

The sales tax disbursements can be used to monitor a particular municipality’s retail trends in terms of volume.