At over $375,000, Brookhaven’s January sales tax collections seta possible single-month record, city officials said.

The city’s sales tax receipts for the first month of 2001totaled $375,644.58, which represented sales for the holiday monthof December. The city received the record-month revenue inFebruary, said City Clerk Iris Rudman.

“That’s the most I remember,” Rudman said about the Januarytotal that put the municipality at number 19 in statewide city saletax rankings.

The January 2001 total was almost $34,000 more than the January2000 total of $341,896.38.

In year to date totals, the city’s 2001 figure was about$120,000 ahead of its 2000 total: $2,241,521.74 this year and$2,122,347.40 last year. Rudman said she had been conservative inestimating sales tax revenue for this year’s budget, and she waspleased to see the higher totals.

“I think that’s good,” she said.

Rudman speculated that several new retail and other developmentscontributed to the higher sales tax totals.

“That helps a lot,” she said.

Rudman was also looking for some good months ahead. She expectedthose would be back closer to routine in the $310,000 to $315,000range.

“I think March and April will be good and reflect Easter sales,”Rudman said.

In other parts of southwest Mississippi, McComb collectionsreached $449,089.27 in January sales tax, which was good enough for17th place statewide. The January 2001 total represented anincrease of about $9,000 from the January 2000 total of$440,942.54.

In year-to-date totals, McComb had $2,489,874.20 in 2001 and$2,432,502.60 in 2000.

Also in Pike County, Summit businesses gathered $22,062.40 inJanuary sales tax, an increase from last January’s $19,500.23. Forthe year-to-date, the town’s 2001 total was $132,147.44, about$10,000 below 2000’s $142,297.69.

In Lawrence County, Monticello merchants took in $32,703.48 forthe city’s share of January 2001 sales tax, down some from January2000’s $36,142.23. The city’s 2001 year-to-date total continued tobe a little off its 2000 pace: $216,596.39 this year and$221,754.38 last year.

Wesson businesses’ January sales tax collections dipped to$10,511.75 compared to $11,149.60 last January. Its year-to-datetotal was down as well at $67,601.92 this year and $70,943.37 lastyear.

To the west in Franklin County, Bude businesses rang up$8,095.99 for the town, a little decrease compared to January2000’s $8,614.72. For 2001, its yearly total was $54,921.10 and$54,070.61 in 2000.

Meadville merchants took in $12,018.07 in January 2001, ahealthy increase from January 2000 with $10,032.03. Yearly totalsshow the town with $67,271.79 in 2001 collections and $59,123.59 in2000 collections.