Sales tax collections take sharp upturn

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Sales tax collections in some cases rose sharply in St. Landry Parish in June, according to statistics from the St. Landry Parish School Board Sales Tax Division.
Collections through June were ahead of those in the same period in 2017 in Eunice, St. Landry Parish and the parishwide Road District 1 collected in rural St. Landry Parish. Opelousas collections through June were trailing the previous year.
Year-to-date collections in Eunice were $2,841,428, up 6.3 percent or $168,406 from the same period in 2017.
Year-to-date collections in the special road district that funds the parish Smooth Ride Home program were $3,353,987, up 1.4 percent or $46,649 from the same period a year ago.
Year-to-date collections in Opelousas were $4,940,732, down 2.8 percent or $137,034 from the same period in 2017.
Total collections in St. Landry Parish were $34,557,939, up 2.5 percent or $827,514 from the same period a year ago.
The parish sales tax total includes collections for the parish government, School Board, solid waste, law enforcement, special tax districts and municipalities.
In April to April comparisons:
— Eunice collections were $576,684, up 33.6 percent or $145,498 from April 2017.
— Opelousas collections were $803,354, up 1.2 percent or $9,552 from April 2017.
— Road District 1 collections were $634,608, up 15 percent or $89,157 from April 2017.
— St. Landry Parish total collections were $34,557,939, up 2.5 percent or $827,514 from April 2017.
In June to May comparisons:
— Eunice collections of $576,684 in June were up 34 percent or $147,119 from May.
— Opelousas collections of $803,354 in June were up 4 percent or $31,305 from May.
— Road District 1 collections of $634,608 in June were up 22.4 percent or $114,124 from May.
— St. Landry Parish total sales tax collections in June were $6,251,498, up 17 percent or $910,556 from May.
The sales tax rate in Eunice is 10.75 percent. Of that in June 5 percent is state, 3.55 percent is parish and 2.2 percent is city.
In June unincorporated areas in St. Landry Parish pay a 10.5 percent sales tax, which includes 5 percent state and 5.5 percent parish tax rates that includes the 2 percent Smooth Ride Home Program tax.
On July 1, a 1 percent sales tax was reduced to 0.45 percent.