Harlan Kirgan
Staff Report
St. Landry Parish sales tax collections in April were up as much as 20-plus percent over March revenues despite Gov. John Bel Edwards’ stay-at-home order and the shutdown of many businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.
Total year-to-date sales tax collections in St. Landry Parish were up 6.2% in April compared to the same period in 2019. The April total was $25,072,196, up $1,461,993 from the four-month total in 2019.
Tressa Miller, St. Landry Parish School Board director of finance, stated, “Overall we saw increases in collections as a whole for our parish. Some municipalities did have decreases however. We noticed that grocery stores, dollar stores and fast food restaurants had increases. Keep in mind that what we collected in April is what businesses collected from March sales. So this month’s collections include the first partial month of business closures as a result of the stay at home order.”
Miller’s comment was made with the release of the sales tax collections.
“Considering that more people are staying at home, this trend may continue into next month’s collections. Also keep in mind that stimulus checks went out in April.
“At some point we expect to see a decrease in collections, but we don’t know when or how severe that will be,” Miller stated.
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 doesn’t include state sales taxes.
There are 18 parish entities collecting sales taxes in St. Landry Parish.
In St. Landry Parish, the April total of $6,518,801 was a $207,137 or 3.3% increase from April 2019 collections. The April collections were up $1,337,258 from March — a 25.8% increase.
In Eunice, year-to-date collections through March were $2,058,938, up $202,882 or 10.9% over the same period in 2019. The city’s April collections of $539,158 was up $54,949 or 11.3% over April 2019 collections. Sales tax collections in April were up $82,765 or 18% over March collections.
In Opelousas, collections through April totaled $3,436,437, up $53,108 or 1.6% over the same four-month period in 2019. April collections totaled $925,007, up $2,012 or 0.2% from April 2019. Collections were up 27% or $195,230 from March to April.
In Road District 1, which collections a 2% sales tax in unincorporated St. Landry Parish that funds the Smooth Ride Home Program, collections through April totaled $2,432,347, up $274,917 or 12.7% over the same period in 2019. The April total was $573,009, which is up $11,795 or 2.1% over April 2019 collections. From March to April, the collections rose $96,419 for a 20.2% increase.
The local sales tax rates in Eunice are 2.45% city and 3.55% parish.
Local sales tax rates in unincorporated St. Landry Parish are 5.55% parish tax rates that includes the 2% 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.