City’s sales tax collections on the rise each month

Less than two years into being a city, Gluckstadt officials say sales tax from a growing economy has brought a number of city services ahead of schedule.

Mayor Walter Morrison said the initial projections had the city bringing a public works department online in the city’s third year. The city is not even two years old and Morrison said they have been able to hire two full-time employees as well as purchase and lease equipment to fill potholes, collect and clear debris, cut grass and take on minor drainage projects.

“We are very pleased,” Morrison said. “this bodes well for the future of the city.”

In addition to a public works department, the Lucky City has purchased and outfitted ten police cars and is in the process of building the city’s first building, a roughly 14,000 square foot police department and court services building near Germantown High School on Calhoun Station Parkway.

Morrison attributed the growth to a strong economy spurred by an influx of new businesses, which he says are opening at a daily rate.

Sales tax diversions for the city show steady growth. In March of this year alone Gluckstadt collected $223,205, up 22.03 percent from 2022 when they collected $182,909. This was the highest growth in the county with only Ridgeland reporting a 15.99 percent increase in sales tax diversions for the month of March between 2022 and 2023. 

As of March, Gluckstadt has taken in $1,478,598 in 2023. This is an 18.40 percent increase from last year’s take of $1,248,859 and once again the largest increase in the county.

Five municipalities in Madison County individually report monthly sales tax receipts to the Department of Revenue. DOR returns a percentage of the sales tax back to the municipalities. The percentage of money returned to the municipalities is based on legislation.