At over $388,000, Brookhaven sales tax collections rebounded inJanuary and placed the city back among the state’s Top 20collectors, according to totals from state Tax Commission.

Brookhaven $388,866 for January 2003 was more than $21,000 aheadof the $367,701.86 collected in January 2002. This January’s totalranked the city 20th in the state.

“We’re off to a good start,” said Chandler Russ,Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce executivevice-president, about the beginning of a new calendar year. “We’repleased to climb back into the Top 20.”

January 2003 collections represent sales in December 2002.

“We had a really nice holiday,” Russ said. “We want to thank allour citizens for shopping at home this past holiday season.”

Russ said Brookhaven’s collections were up about 7 percent overthe previous year. Brookhaven was one of 10 in the Top 20 to seeincreased collections while the other 10 saw decreases.

The healthy holiday was not enough, though, to offset a deficitin year-to-date collections.

For the fiscal year, which started in July, Brookhaven’s 2003total remained almost $21,000 behind its 2002 pace. In 2003, thecity’s total was $2,278,341.76 and $299.261.62 in 2002.

In other parts of southwest Mississippi, McComb collectionsslipped to $466,542.41 in January sales tax. The January 2003total, which placed the city 18th in the state, represented adecrease of about $12,000 from the January 2002 total of$478,173.68.

In year-to-date totals, McComb had $2,604,833.04 in 2003 and$2,607,043.11 in 2002.

Also in Pike County, Summit businesses gathered $17,759.39 inJanuary sales tax, an increase from last January’s $16,655.79. Forthe years-to-date, the town’s 2003 total was $118,011.75, about$14,000 behind 2002’s $132,043.01.

In Lawrence County, Monticello merchants took in $33,908.57 forthe city’s share of January 2002 sales tax, a slight increase overJanuary 2002’s $33,499.12. The city’s 2003 year-to-date totalstayed ahead of its 2002 pace: $225,801.06 this year and$218,694.53 last year.

Wesson businesses’ January sales tax collections were up to$10,503.08, compared to $10,389.15 last January. Its year-to-datetotal trailed its 2002 pace with $64,991.05 this year and$70,968.54 last year.

To the west in Franklin County, Bude businesses rang up$7,531.79 for the town, a decrease compared to January 2002’s$8,041.02. For 2003, its yearly total was $53,558.18 and $58,763.64in 2002.

Meadville merchants took in $9,847.11 in January 2002, a smallincrease from January 2002 with $9,309.62. Yearly totals show thetown with $58,073.22 in 2003 collections and $57.603.64 in 2002collections.