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In the 2008-09 budget, Brookhaven municipal leaders budgeted for $425,000 a month. At times the city has exceeded that, while at times it has fallen short.
In talks on the 2009-10 budget, officials have set the standard lower, shooting for $415,000 per month, just for the sake of being conservative.
"In this day and time being able to merely meet budget standards is something to be celebrated," Brumfield said.
Despite the monthly decrease, Mayor Les Bumgarner pointed out that Brookhaven's numbers were higher than those in McComb and Natchez, which had $423,708.26 and $422,420.20 respectively. In fact, Brookhaven placed 18th among the state's top sales tax collectors.
McComb is down around $50,000 from July of last year, when the city logged $473,338.65, while Natchez dropped only around $14,000 from last year's $436,829.32.
Meanwhile, Brookhaven also beat out similarly sized cities Starkville, at $416,409.09, and Madison, at $372,719.98. Brookhaven trailed Oxford, which brought in $438,145.56.
City officials said some of the difference, as is usual in Brookhaven, could be in the car market.
"I think we really can see this probably didn't have anything to do with Cash for Clunkers this month," Bumgarner said, indicating that July's numbers are actually based on June sales.
With July being the start of the state's new fiscal year, fiscal year to date collections are the same as cities' monthly totals.
The latest sales tax totals are a good sign, Brumfield said.
"As we move into the fall shopping season and as the auto manufacturers begin to increase production to meet the anticipated demand, we can hope to see even greater sales tax numbers," he said.
Bumgarner said, however, that he is just happy to have met the budgeted numbers.
"We're pleased with that," he said. "That's always good news."
