NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez’s sales tax collections for May increased 9.5 percent over May 2011, as the collections upward trend continued for the 10th month in a row this fiscal year.

Overall sales tax collections totaled approximately $447,780, up approximately $38,980 from the $408,800 collected in May 2011.

Sales tax numbers for July reflect collections in May. Collections are reported two months after the fact.

May’s collections were the highest the city has collected in that month since the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

Food and lodging tax collections for May were up about 5 percent over last fiscal year, with approximately $34,300, the highest May collections recorded on a chart dating back to the 1997-1998 fiscal year.

Collections for the $2 hotel and bed-and-breakfast occupancy tax spiked about 25 percent in May after a two-month downward movement.

Collections were approximately $32,380, up about $6,580 from May 2011 and the highest May collections since the tax was implemented for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

With just two months left in the current fiscal year, Natchez could be looking at an overall better year for sales tax collections.

City Clerk Donnie Holloway has repeatedly said that he believes the city will see a collective increase in collections for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

The total collections for the 2010-2011 fiscal year were approximately $5.1 million, and collections for this fiscal year so far are approximately $4.4 million.