Resort tax collections up 19 percent in January

Revenue from the city’s 2 percent resort tax in January was up nearly 19 percent compared to last year. Collections for the month were $119,889, which is an $18,863 increase.

Resort tax collections in December were up, as well. More than $170,000 was tallied for the month, with the bulk — $88,956 — coming from retail sales. Total collections for the month were up 12 percent over the previous year.

For the year-to-date, the city has collected more than $1.2 million, an increase of 10.4 percent from the same seven months of collections ending with January of 2012.

The resort tax is generally used as an indicator of how local businesses have fared in a particular month or year.

Collections are used for street reconstruction and property-tax rebates for city residents. Five percent is used for parks and the remaining 5 percent for administration.