Staff Report
Sales tax collections through September in St. Landry Parish are up 1.5% compared to the same period in 2018, according to statistics released by the St. Landry Parish School Board Sales Tax Division.
Total collections in St. Landry Parish through September were $53,001,458, a $784,679 increase over the same nine months in 2018, the statistics released Friday state.
The parish sales and use tax total includes collections for the parish government, School Board, solid waste, law enforcement, special tax districts and municipalities. The total does not include state collections.
The parish collections rose 5.6% in a September to September comparison. Collections in September were $5,968,334, up $313,941 from September 2018.
The September collections were up $232,044 or 4% from the August total of $5,736,290.
In Eunice, collections through September totaled $4,073,373, down 3% from the same period in 2018.
In Opelousas, collections through September totaled $7,325,547, up 1.9% from September 2018.
In St. Landry Parish Road District 1, which collects a 2 percent sales tax in unincorporated areas of the parish to fund the Smooth Ride Home program, the nine-month total was $4,978,715, down 5.5% from the same period in 2018.
In September to September 2018 comparisons:
— Eunice sales tax collections of $503,611 were up 10% from September 2018.
— Opelousas sales tax collections of $870,463 were up 20% from September 2018.
— Road District 1 sales tax collections of $527,586 were up 18% from September 2018.
— Total St. Landry Parish sales collections of $5,968,334 were up 5.6% from September 2018.
In September to August comparisons:
In Eunice, collections rose by $73,972, up 17%.
In Opelousas, collections were up $54,970, up 6.7%.
In Road District 1, collections were up $17,050, a 3% increase.
In the parish collections rose $232,044, up 4%.
The local sales tax rates in Eunice are 2.2 percent city and 3.55 percent parish. The Eunice sales tax rate is to increase 0.25% this month for a public safety employee pay raise.
Local sales tax rates in unincorporated St. Landry Parish are 5.55 percent parish tax rates that includes the 2 percent Smooth Ride Home Program tax.
The sales tax numbers include a use tax, which is paid on items used, stored or consumed. The sales tax is collected on a transaction.