Sales and use tax collections continue to steadily rise in St. Mary Parish as the economy slowly improves. Collections totaled $3.29 million in April, up 4.5 percent from the $3.14 million collected in April 2017. Financial audits brought in $75,008 in April compared to the $3,100 in audit collections in the same month of 2017. Excluding collections from audits, collections rose 2.3 percent. Revenues from hotel sales taxes were $43,704, a 7.3 percent jump from the $40,718 collected in April 2017. “Slow and steady growth is always a positive thing,” Parish Sales and Use Tax Director Jeff LaGrange said in ...