The latest sales tax report for the city shows another month of improved numbers as city leaders show enough confidence in the sales tax revenue stream that they’ve raised the revenue expectations for the next fiscal year.

     On the state’s July sales tax report, indicating revenue collected on sales activity in June, Brookhaven collected more than $431,000. That’s an increase from 2011, when the city took in approximately $426,000 during that same period.

     Mayor Les Bumgarner said the numbers aren’t record-breaking but continue to indicate a trend of growth and put the city where it needs to be in terms of revenue.

     The city has seen a small dropoff from some big spring months that were consistently putting Brookhaven at nearly $450,000 or more in sales tax totals.

     However, city officials say these fluctuations throughout the year are normal.

     They’ve been sufficiently impressed by the strength of the numbers, though, to increase the expected sales tax revenue on the budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year. That budget, which is awaiting approval from city aldermen, increases sales tax revenue expectations by $20,000, from $4.9 million to $4.92 million.

     The new expectations break out to $410,000 monthly.

     “We won’t get that every month, though,” cautioned City Clerk Mike Jinks.

     Jinks said $410,000 is a good average of the fluctuating sales tax collections.

     “It’s nice when you’re getting those big checks, but when it gets into the winter, that’s not the way it’s going to be,” Jinks said.

     The city is running well ahead of budget estimates for the current fiscal year.

     From Oct. 1 of 2011 through July, the city has collected a little more than $4.7 million. Budget estimates had expected the city to collect only $4 million in that time frame.

     The state report’s year-to-date totals only include the July collections, because the state’s fiscal year begins in July.

     McComb posted higher numbers than Brookhaven, with more than $459,000 in revenue, an increase of almost $30,000 over the year before.

     The Natchez numbers put that city below McComb but ahead of Brookhaven with approximately $444,000 in sales tax totals for the July report, more than $20,000 over 2011’s collections.

     Bumgarner maintains a list of 21 cities through the state of roughly comparable population. Brookhaven came out at 11 on the list when ranking the cities by July sales tax reports.

     That’s an average ranking for Brookhaven, Bumgarner said.

     Brookhaven’s 11th place-ranking did put it ahead of cities such as Clinton and Ocean Springs. Overall in the state, Brookhaven placed 25th among the top sales tax collectors.

     Smaller regional cities including Monticello, Wesson and Bude also saw small increases.