Brookhaven’s November sales tax collections dipped below the$300,000 mark and dropped the city out of the state’s Top 20, butchamber of commerce officials say the city is still on a good pacefor the year.

Brookhaven’s November sales tax collections dipped below the$300,000 mark and dropped the city out of the state’s Top 20, butchamber of commerce officials say the city is still on a good pacefor the year.

The city’s $292,854.20 last month represented about 4 percentgrowth over November 1999’s $282,513.99, said Chandler Russ,Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce executivevice-president.

“We’re still at 6 percent growth for the year, which is wellabove the state average,” Russ said.

For the year to date, Brookhaven had collected $1,561,514.93,which was about $85,000 ahead of last year’s $1,475,863.69. Russalso pointed out that some other communities in the area grew at aslower pace or were behind in year-to-date collections.

“Regionally, we’re still doing well, although there was someslowing of our revenue,” Russ said.

November was one of the few months when collections failed tosurpass $300,000. Russ said collections for the month, whichrepresent sales in October, are typically down and he looked for astrong rebound after the first of the year when collections forDecember and January arrive.

Russ attributed Brookhaven’s ranking drop to seasonal factors insome cities, such the football university homes of Oxford andStarkville. He maintained November sales tax totals were stillpositive numbers.

“Brookhaven’s still doing well,” he said. “It’s just not the 6to 9 percent we were growing in previous times.”

In other parts of southwest Mississippi, McComb collectionsreached $322,891.48 in November sales tax, which was a slip to 19thplace statewide. The November 2000 total represented an increase ofabout $12,000 from the November 1999 total of $310,672.34.

In year-to-date totals, McComb had $1,693,157.90 in 2000 and$1,635,482.38 in 1999.

Also in Pike County, Summit businesses gathered $16,542.30 inNovember sales tax, a decrease from last November’s $19,542.25. Forthe years-to-date, the town’s 2000 total was $94,426.23, about$10,000 below 1999’s $104,303.10.

In Lawrence County, Monticello merchants took in $29,875.97 forthe city’s share of November 2000 sales tax, a slight decrease fromNovember 1999’s $30,839.77. The city’s 2000 year-to-date totalcontinued to be a little off its 1999 pace: $153,701.32 this yearand $155,401.69 last year.

Wesson businesses’ November sales tax collections were up to$10,182.05 compared to $9,401.18 last November. Its year-to-datetotal was down slightly at $48,283.26 this year and $48,886.43 lastyear.

To the west in Franklin County, Bude businesses rang up$7,486.58 for the town, a little increase compared to November1999’s $7,118.49. For 2000, its yearly total was $39,220.94 and$37,989.95 in 1999.

Meadville merchants took in $9,915.19 in November 2000, a goodincrease from November 1999 with $7,305.12. Yearly totals show thetown with $46,815.07 in 2000 collections and $38,673.66 in 1999collections.