Harlan Kirgan
Sales tax collections in Eunice as of March are 1.1 percent below the year-to-date collections in 2017, according to statistics from the St. Landry Parish School Board Sales Tax Division.
Eunice revenues were $1,348,948 through March. A year ago those revenues were $1,364,460 — a $15,512 decrease.
Overall sales tax revenue for St. Landry Parish are 6.7 percent below the same three-month period in 2017. This year’s parish collections total $16,181,949, down from $17,344,110 in 2017 — a $1,162,161 decrease.
In Opelousas, sales tax revenues through March were down 8.3 percent compared to 2017 collections. Revenue through March in Opelousas was $2,383,794 compared to $2,600,502 in 2017 — a $216,710 decrease.
The parish sales tax total includes collections for the parish government, School Board, solid waste, law enforcement and municipalities.
Eunice sales tax collections in March were $392,678, which is a 2.3 percent increase from February collections and just $808 less than collections in March 2017.
Total parish sales tax collections in March were $4,901,561, which is a 3.8 percent or $177,177 increase from February collections. The parish collections were up 1 percent in March over March 2017 collections.
In Opelousas, March collections were $738,034, up 10.2 percent from February’s $669,860. The city’s March collections were 1.2 percent higher than those March 2017.
The sales tax rate in Eunice is 10.75 percent. Of that 5 percent is state, 3.55 percent is parish and 2.2 percent is city.
Unincorporated areas in St. Landry Parish pay a 10.5 percent sales tax revenue, which includes 5 percent state and 5.5 percent parish tax rates.
On April 1, 2016, the state sales tax rate rose by 1 percent. The rate is scheduled to decline to 4 percent in July.