Phil Castle, The Business Times

Year-over-year gains in sales, use and lodging tax collections in December added to higher numbers in the Grand Valley during 2015.

Mesa County reported a 5.1 percent increase in sales and use tax collections for 2015 over 2014. The City of Grand Junction reported a 2.6 percent increase.

Lodging tax collections, a measure of hotel and motel stays, jumped 9.1 percent.

What’s been an upward trend in tax collections is expected to continue in 2016.

Year-end numbers were bolstered by increased collections in December, which reflect November sales.

Mesa County reported collecting a total of almost $2.7 million in sales and use taxes, an increase of nearly $244,000 and 10.1 percent over the same month last year. Sales tax collections were up 8.2 percent, while use tax collections jumped 33.4 percent. The overall proportional gain tied for the second largest for the county in 2015, just short of the 11 percent increase in January.

For all of 2015, Mesa County reported collecting a total of almost $32.2 million in sales and use taxes. That’s an increase of almost $1.6 million and 5.1 percent over 2014. Sales tax collections were up 4.9 percent, while use tax collections increased 7.1 percent.

Eleanor Thomas, budget manager for Mesa County, attributed the gains to an increase in collections on retail sales as well as gains in the automotive, oil and natural gas and telecommunications sectors. “Tourism was up, too. That’s encouraging.”

The City of Grand Junction reported collecting a total of more than $4 million in sales and use taxes in December, edging up $27,390 and seven-tenths of a percent over the same month last year. Sales tax collections were up nine-tenths of a percent, while use tax collections increased 10.4 percent.

For all of 2015, the city reported collecting a total of more than $50.6 million in sales and use taxes. That’s an increase of nearly $1.3 million and 2.6 percent over 2014.

More than $75,000 in lodging taxes were collected in December, according to the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau. That’s an increase of nearly $3,000 and 4 percent over the same month last year.

For all of 2015, almost $1.4 million in lodging taxes were collected. That’s an increase of about $114,00 and 9.1 percent over 2104.