A key measure of sales activity continues to increase in Grand Junction and Mesa County.

The City of Grand Junction reported a 17.6 percent increase in sales tax collections in October compared to the same month a year ago. Mesa County reported an even larger proportional gain at 18.8 percent.

City lodging tax collections, a measure of hotel and motel stays, rose 75.5 percent.

October tax collections reflect September sales and lodging.

The city collected a total of nearly $6.4 million in sales and use taxes in October, an increase of nearly $967,000 and 17.8 percent over the same month last year. Use taxes, a smaller and more volatile revenue source, rose 29.9 percent.

Through the first 10 months of 2021, the city collected a total of more than $57.4 million in sales and use taxes, an increase of almost $10 million and 21 percent over the same span in 2020. Sales tax collections increased 31.4 percent, while use tax collections rose 15.2 percent.

Mesa County collected a total of more than $4.3 million in sales and use taxes. That’s an increase of almost $630,000 and 17.1 percent over last year.

The gain in sales tax collections more than offset a slight dip in use taxes — nearly all of them on automobiles purchased outside the county, but used in the county.

County tax collections on retail sales in October reached almost $1.4 million, a 13.5 percent increase over the same month last year. Collections on internet sales topped $226,000.

Tax collections increased 28.5 percent on hotel stays and restaurant meals,  23.5 percent on automobiles and 15.4 percent on home improvements.

Through the first 10 months of 2021, the county collected a total of more than $40.2 million in sales and use taxes. That’s an increase of nearly $7 million and 21 percent over the same span in 2020. Sales tax collections rose 20.3 percent, while use tax collections rose 28.9 percent.

The county collected more than $13 million in taxes on retail sales during the firsr 10 months of 2021, a 19.4 percent increase over the same span in 2020. Tax collections on internet sales accounted for almost $2.4 million.

Year-to-date sales taxes increased 30.6 percent on hotel stays and restaurant meals, 29.8 percent on home improvements and 18.6 percent on automobiles. Collections decreased 41.6 percent in the oil and natural gas sector.

The City of Grand Junction collected almost $250,000 in lodging taxes in October. For the first 10 months of 2021, city lodging tax collections exceeded $1.5 million. That’s an increase of 63.1 percent over the same span in 2020.