With more than $317,000, Brookhaven pushed back into the Top 20sales tax collectors in June and rounded out the state fiscal year2000 about $100,000 ahead of 1999.

With more than $317,000, Brookhaven pushed back into the Top 20sales tax collectors in June and rounded out the state fiscal year2000 about $100,000 ahead of 1999.

According to the Mississippi Tax Commission, $317,774.47 was toreturned to Brookhaven as its share of June sales tax. Althoughonly about $1,000 more than June 1999’s $316,558.29, last month’stotal placed Brookhaven at No. 19 statewide, a jump from May’sranking at No. 22.

Brookhaven’s ranking was due to its slight increase combinedwith a number of comparable cities seeing decreases.

Clarksdale and Oxford were down over $200,000 in collections,and Clinton and Starkville more than $100,000 each. Statewide,sales tax diversions to cities were down more than $12 million fromJune 1999 to June 2000.

In comparison of fiscal years, Brookhaven’s collections for 2000were $98,000 above those of 1999. The 2000 total was $3,639,617.51and the 1999 total was $3,541,070.23.

“We’re proud of the growth we’ve had over the last year,” saidChandler Russ, executive vice-president of the Brookhaven-LincolnCounty Chamber of Commerce. “We want to work to continue to seesales tax grow and Brookhaven grow as an area retail tradecenter.”

Citing a new strip shopping mall and other developments, Russwas optimistic about the area’s future.

“I don’t see how we can’t grow with so much retail activitygoing on,” Russ said.

In other parts of southwest Mississippi, McComb collectionsreached $341,509.96 in June sales tax, good enough for 18th placestatewide. The June 2000 total represented a decrease of about$47,000 from the June 1999 total of $388,597.76.

In year-to-date totals, McComb had $4,111,757.58 in 2000 and$3,917,245.79 in 1999.

Also in Pike County, Summit businesses gathered $21,525.68 inJune sales tax, a decrease from last June’s $24,751.46. For theyear-to-date, the town’s 2000 total was $237,880.18, a little below1999’s $243,218.94.

In Lawrence County, Monticello merchants took in $24,040.25 forthe city’s share of June 2000 sales tax, a big drop from June1999’s $35,060.08.

The city’s 2000 year-to-date total remained ahead of its 1999pace: $375,086.27 this year and $371,334.02 last year.

Wesson businesses’ June sales tax collections were down to$9,951.59 compared to $14,615.91 last June. Its year-to-date total,though, was barely higher at $118,432.81 this year and $117,936.59last year.

To the west in Franklin County, Bude businesses rang up$7,867.12 for the town, an increase compared to June 1999’s$7,324.40. For 2000, its yearly total was $94,625.80 and $90,407.32in 1999.

Meadville merchants took in $9,546.22 in June 2000, an increasefrom June 1999 with $8,336.08. Yearly totals show the town with$101,418.33 in 2000 collections and $101,530.08 in 1999collections.