Brookhaven’s sales tax receipts are down from the previous month, but signal a good start to the fiscal year.

July’s $482,965.74 is lower than the previous three months’ totals — which ranged from $507,176 to $527,990 — but on par for the six-month average of $490,000. As the first month of the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the month is a solid $30,500 higher than July 2018.

The 2018-2019 fiscal year ended with $5,797,694.03 total sax diversions received by the city, $75,000 higher than the previous end-of-year total.

Statewide, receipts were up to $38.1 million over June’s $37.6 million and up from last July’s $37.3 million.

McComb and Cleveland are the two cities in the state closest in residential population to Brookhaven, slightly higher and slightly lower, respectively. McComb’s diversions for July were $474,766.63, down from $513,953.80 in June. Cleveland brought in $336,866.66 in June and dropped to $293,745.80 in July.

Thirty-three cities across the Magnolia State have larger populations than the Home Seekers Paradise. Of these, 13 brought in lower tax receipts than Brookhaven — Horn Lake, Clinton, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gautier, Clarksdale, Hernando, Long Beach, Natchez, Greenwood, Grenada, Canton and Moss Point.

The capital city of Jackson, the state’s most populous municipality, brought in just over $2.32 million for July — the highest in the state. Seven other cities brought in receipts of $1.14 million to $1.99 million each. All but Ridgeland ranked as the second through seventh most populous cities. Ridgeland is 16th.

The town of Duncan and the city of Shaw, both located in the Delta, brought in the least — each received zero dollars.

Sales tax data is provided by the Mississippi Department of Revenue. Sales tax has a three month cycle. In Month 1, tax is collected by the retailer. In Month 2, tax is reported and paid to the Department of Revenue by the retailer. In Month 3, diversion is paid by the Department of Revenue to the cities. This report is based on the month the tax is collected at the Department of Revenue (Month 2).