City officials continue to be encouraged by the upturn in salestax numbers, hoping it’s a sign that the local economy is headedback to solid ground.

Brookhaven’s June 2010 total came to $436,662.01, which not onlybeats the budgeted $415,000 leaders expect each month, but also isa strong showing over last June’s $418,719.88. In fact, Brookhavenwas the Southwest Mississippi sales tax leader last month and alsoranked 20th among the state’s top collectors.

With 2010’s yearly total falling at $4,915,434.23, the city isstill down roughly $257,000 from their 2009 earnings of$5,172,359.50. The fiscal year started over on July 1, andofficials choose to focus on the positives of the recoveringeconomy.

“This is very, very good,” said Mayor Les Bumgarner, who pointedout that Brookhaven’s sales tax numbers for June had bested McComband Natchez again. “And in the list of all the cities I keep upwith, we’re fifth, where we’re usually eighth or ninth.”

McComb came in at $423,681.95 for June, roughly $15,000 less thanlast year’s $438,284.45. The $5,097,795.41 they drew for 2010 ismore than a $378,000 drop from 2009’s total of $5,476,011.96,however.

Natchez fared a little better both for June and for the year, withtheir $425,927.69 topping 2009’s $422,781.25. For the year, Natchezis down roughly $256,000 from 2009’s $5,328,430.44.

Meanwhile, Brookhaven also topped other cities in the area, whichcame as a pleasant shock to some city officials.

“I was surprised we beat Clinton, given their location,” said WardOne Alderman Dorsey Cameron. “Madison’s another one, becausethey’ve got that big mall.”

Madison came in at $415,711.17, which tops last year’s $381,779.33.Clinton’s $338,928.59 was down about $9,000 from 2009’s$348,057.66.

Officials have often pointed to Brookhaven as adestination-shopping city for wedding and formal dresses, as wellas vehicles, as a reason the sales tax is so strong.

During the last year, aldermen had dropped the projected amount ofsales tax per month in the budget to $415,000 from $425,000 inhopes that it would be a reachable goal. There were several monthsthat tax numbers came in below budget, but in the last few monthsthey have been back on the rise.

Bumgarner said another reason Brookhaven does so well in the taxrankings compared to other cities of the same size is that it hasthe support of the entire county.

“We have 13,000 in the city and another 25,000-28,000 in thecounty,” he said. “It’s almost like having a city of around35,000.”