Sales tax collections, a measure of retail activity, continue to increase in Grand Junction.

The City of Grand Junction reported collecting more than $5.6 million in sales taxes in April. That’s an increase of nearly $210,000 and 3.9 percent over the same month last year.

April collections reflect March sales.

Tax reports for May for the City of Grand Junction and Mesa County weren’t available as of press deadline.

The city collected nearly $745,000 in its share of sales taxes collected in Mesa County.

The city also collected more than $174,000 in April in use taxes, a smaller and more volatile revenue source. That’s more than double what was collected for the same month last year.

Combined sales and use tax collections for April were 6.6 percent higher than the same month last year and higher than collections for that month going back to 2018.

The city collected a total of more than $1.1 million in restricted sales and use taxes earmarked for public safety and first responders.

Through the first five months of 2022, the City of Grand Junction collected a total of more than $24.3 million in sales and use taxes. Compared to the same span in 2021, sales tax collections increased 13.3 percent and use taxes collections rose 75.6 percent.

Tax collections so far for 2022 outpaced the budget by 5.5 percent.

The city collected a total of more than $4 million in restricted sales and use taxes for public safety and first responders.

Lodging tax collections, a measure of hotel and motel stays, also continue to trend up.

The City of Grand Junction collected more than $411,000 in lodging tax collections in April. That’s an increase of nearly $188,000 and 84 percent over the same month last year.

April collections reflect hotel and motel stays in March. 

Through the first five months of 2022, the City of Grand Junction collected almost $1.1 million in lodging taxes. That was an increase of more than $457,000 and 72 percent over the same span in 2021.