NATCHEZ — For the first time since February 2009, sales tax is up.

“Hallelujah!” City Clerk Donnie Holloway exclaimed Friday. “I am elated.”

The city collected $418,097 in February, up from $403,484 in February 2009 — a 3.72 percent increase. Sales tax collections are reported two months after the fact.

“(February) is the first month sales tax has been up since this fiscal year started,” Holloway said. “I was anticipating a down month, but I attribute the increase to people spending money on their tax returns.”

January revenues might have been an indicator for the month to come. Though January revenues dropped compared to the previous year, the drop was the smallest in months.

The city collected $387,016 the first month of the new year, down from $390,258 in January 2009 — a .83 percent drop. The city experienced as much as a 12 percent decrease in monthly sales tax revenues last year.

Holloway said total sales tax revenue for fiscal year 2010, which began Oct. 1, is $2,920,854, and he expects Spring Pilgrimage to provide a boost when March sales tax reports are released next month.