Sales tax collections, a key measure of retail activity, continues to increase on a year-over-year basis in Grand Junction.

Use and lodging tax collections also have increased.

The City of Grand Junction collected more than $5 million in sales taxes in December, the latest month for which reports are available. That’s an increase of almost $416,000 and 7.4 percent over the same month last year.

December collections reflect November sales and the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

The city received nearly $891,000 as its share of sales taxes Mesa County collects and distributes to municipalities, a 5.5 percent increase over a year ago.

The city collected nearly $117,000 in use taxes, a smaller and more volatile revenue source. That’s a 27.8 percent increase over what was collected during December 2021.

In addition, the city collected a total of more than $1 million in sales and use taxes earmarked for public safety and first responders.

For all of 2022, the city collected more than $63.7 million in sales taxes. That’s a gain of nearly $5.7 million and 9.7 percent over 2021. The city received almost $10.7 million in sales tax collections from Mesa County, an 11 percent increase.

Use tax collections for 2022 topped $1.5 million, a 36.4 percent gain over 2021.

The city collected a total of more than $12.7 million in sales and use taxes allocated for public safety and first responders.

Lodging tax collections, a measure of hotel and motel stays, totaled nearly $255,000 in December. That’s an increase of 16 percent over the same month last year.

For all of 2022, lodging tax collections exceeded $4.7 million. That’s an increase of more than $1 million and 27.1 percent over 2021.