The latest statistics show both a drop in St. Mary Parish's sales and use tax collections and labor force as uncertainty remains about when the economy will begin to recover.
St. Mary Parish officials collected $2.38 million in sales and use taxes in February, down 4.3 percent from the $2.48 million collected in February 2016. Excluding collections made as a result financial audits, collections dropped 5.4 percent, according to Sales and Use Tax Director Jeff LaGrange.
The sales and tax department collected $31,544 from audits for February compared to $3,100 collected in the same month of the prior year.
St. Mary's hotel sales ...