A clear sign that the national recession is having its effect, Lafayette Parish sales tax collections are down for the fifth straight month, according to the most recent report from the parish Sales Tax Department. The down streak is the longest since at least 1999, when the Sales Tax Department began electronically tracking monthly reports.
The June report shows May ‘09 sales tax collections down 7.5 percent from last May year. This comes on the heels of a 10.5 percent decline in April sales tax collection figures. Parish sales tax revenues have dipped 7 percent since the beginning of the year. City sales tax revenues have fared worse, trending downward since November ‘08.