For the third month in a row at the beginning of the 2019-2020 fiscal year, Brookhaven’s sales tax diversions for September climbed higher.

September’s $499,615 is up from August’s $491.296.71 and is almost $17,000 more than July’s receipts. September 2018’s numbers were $484,742.81. The year-to-date total of $1.473 million is $65,000 more than 2018’s total at the corresponding time.

Statewide receipts of $36,829,451.94 were a little lower than July’s $38.1 million and just under August 2018’s $37.58 million. The state’s fiscal year-to-date total was $113,349,477.35, up from 2018’s $111.97 million.

McComb and Cleveland are the two cities in Mississippi closest in residential population to the Home Seekers Paradise, slightly higher and slightly lower, respectively. McComb’s diversions for September were $461,628.42, up from August’s $452,377.01, but down from 2018’s $466,138.78. Cleveland brought in $352,917.9, up significantly from August’s $314,648.03. Cleveland’s year-to-date total is $971,072.46, almost $67,000 higher than the previous year at the end of September.

Thirty-three cities across the Magnolia State have larger populations than Brookhaven. Of these, 15 brought in lower tax receipts than Brookhaven — Canton, Clarksdale, Clinton, Gautier, Greenville, Greenwood, Grenada, Hernando, Horn Lake, Long Beach, McComb, Moss Point, Natchez, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula.

The capital city of Jackson, with the largest population of any Mississippi city, brought in $2.406 million for September, an increase of more than $200,000. Eight other cities brought in receipts of $1.02 million to $1.89 million each.

The Delta town of Duncan brought in 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).