Harlan Kirgan
Total St. Landry Parish sales tax revenue rose 4.5 percent in 2018 over the 2017 total, according to statistics released by the St. Landry Parish School Board Sales Tax Division.
The year-end tally was $68,841,515, up $2,973,612 over the 2017 total.
That’s probably a record for local sales tax collections in St. Landry Parish. Collections for previous years include $66.1 million in 2015; $64.7 million in 2016; and $$65.9 million in 2017.
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.
Sales tax collections in Eunice for 2018 reached $5,532,26, a 5.6 percent increase over the 2017 total.
In 2018, there were 17 local sales taxes collected in St. Landry Parish and all but four showed increases over 2017 totals. The entities falling behind 2017 collections were the Grand Coteau Economic Development District, city of Grand Coteau; city of Opelousas; and city of Krotz Springs.
Opelousas sales tax collections in 2018 totaled $9,594,299, down 0.2 percent from the 2017 total.
In Eunice, sales tax collections in December were $467,100, up 21.8 percent from the December 2017 collections.
Eunice sales tax collections in December were up 11.9 percent from November when the total was $417,509.
In St. Landry Parish, the December total collections were $5,373,575, up 13.3 percent from December 2017 collections and a 1.7 percent dip from the November 2018 collections.
Opelousas’ $715,452 collections in December were up 6.4 percent from the December 2017 collections and up 0.2 percent from the November 2018 collections.
The parish 2 percent Road District 1 tax that pays for the Smooth Ride Home program totaled $6,920,157 in 2018, up 6.1 percent from the 2017 total.
The road district received $511,400 in December, up 1.8 percent from the 2017 December total and up 14.4 percent from the November 2018 total.
Other tax entities in St. Landry Parish and their 2018 and 2017 totals are:
School Board, $12 million in 2018; and $11.8 million in 2017.
Solid Waste, $9.6 million in 2018; $9.3 million in 2017.
Washington, $139,161 in 2018; $139,146 in 2017.
Melville, $154,123 in 2018; $146,105 in 2017.
Grand Coteau Economic Development District, $156,803, $178,424 in 2017.
Grand Coteau, $286,393 in 2018; $287,857 in 2017.
Arnaudville, $572,213 in 2018; $547,621 in 2017.
Port Barre, $630,937 in 2018; $618,727 in 2017.
Sunset, $669,593 in 2018; $607,321 in 2017.
Krotz Springs, $337,364 in 2018; $393,188 in 2017.
Cankton, $43,319 in 2018; $38,038 in 2017.
School Employee Compensation and Benefit Fund, $11.95 million in 2018; $11.7 million in 2017.
Law Enforcement, $8.96 million in 2018; $8.74 million in 2017.
Central Economic Development District (Opelousas), $1.3 million in 2018; $46,129, in 2017. The district was enlarged in 2018.
The local sales tax rates in Eunice are 2.2 percent city and 3.55 percent parish.
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.