Sales tax in Picayune and Poplarville in the month of May outperformed the same month of the previous year, in spite of the ongoing pandemic.

Picayune received $489,186 in sales tax diversions in July, from sales in May. In the same month of 2019, the city’s sales tax diversion was $432,261.

Poplarville received $89,099 in sales tax diversions in July from sales made in May. In 2019, the city received $87,350 in the same month.

Both cities received more in sales tax diversions from sales made in May than sales made in April. Picayune received $433,908 from sales tax collected in April, while Poplarville received $87,225. Poplarville received its highest sales tax diversion so far this year from sales tax collected in March, $93,116.

Cities across the state received $41.8 million for sales tax collected in May, compared to $39.7 million in the same month of 2019. However, through July 1, cities across the state have still collected less in sales tax than the previous year, $449.4 million, compared to $449.6 million.

Some of the cities in neighboring counties are seeing decreases in sales tax diversions. Biloxi received $944,240 for sales tax collected in May compared to the $1.2 million collected the previous year, while Bay St. Louis collected $145,544 compared to $150,048 in 2019.

Others have held steadier, like Hattiesburg, which received $1.94 million from May sales tax, compared to $1.95 million in 2019.

Mississippi’s most populated city, Jackson saw a decrease compared to last year, receiving $2.3 million in sales tax diversions for May’s sales compared to $2.4 million in the same month of 2019.