Parish sales tax collections dropped $7.4M in 2015

In 2015, sales and use tax collections declined about $7.4 million compared to 2014, dropping from $46.2 million in 2014 to $38.8 million, according to the parish’s December 2015 report.
From 2014 to 2015, delinquent collections made as a result of financial audits also dipped from $1.9 million to about $655,000. Hotel sales tax revenues declined from $706,752 to $668,487 during the past year.
December sales tax revenues totaled $2.77 million compared to $3.69 million collected in December 2014, a 24.8 percent drop. Officials collected $73,379 in December as a result of financial audits. In December 2014, $312,630 was collected from audits.
“December collections of November activity continue on a downward spiral,” Parish Sales and Use Tax Director Jeff LaGrange said in an email. “With no end in sight at this time, both government and business budgets will be cut drastically in the upcoming months as they hold on until oil prices rise and stabilize.”
Hotel sales tax revenues came in at $51,110 in December, down from the $43,983 collected in December 2014.
Fourth quarter collections of $8.78 million in 2015 were down from 2014’s fourth quarter collections of $11.7 million.
Third quarter collections totaled $9.46 million, com-pared to $11.19 million in 2014. In the second quarter of 2015, the parish collected $9.72 million, while parish officials collected $11.66 million in the same quarter of 2014. The first quarter of 2015 also saw a drop from 2014’s first quarter, going from $11.68 million in 2014 to $10.86 million in 2015.
Morgan City’s 0.3 percent sales tax for roads brought in $68,259 in December, bringing the yearly total collected for roads to $876,230.
The following occupational licenses were filed in December 2015: St. Mary Parish, $1,290; town of Berwick, $1,178; city of Morgan City, $275; city of Patterson, $75; and city of Franklin, $25.