Sales tax collections, a key measure of retail activity, kept pace in 2023 with those in 2022, according to the latest report from Mesa County.

The county collected more than $4 million in December, a 2.1 percent gain over the same month a year ago. For 2023, the county collected nearly $49.2 million, nine-tenths of a percent more than in 2022. Tax collections lag a month behind sales.

Mesa County collected another $18.6 million in sales taxes it distributed back to cities and towns in the county, including nearly $10.9 million to Grand Junction, almost $3.4 million to Fruita, about $2.4 million to Palisade and $1 million each to Collbran and De Beque.

The county collected nearly $2.5 million in taxes on retail sales in December, matching what was collected during the same month last year. Gains in seven categories more than offset a decline in collections on the sale of home improvements.

The county collected more than $1.6 million in sales taxes in other industry categories in December, a 5.6 percent increase over the same month a year ago. Collections increased 2.8 percent in the hotel and restaurant category, 4.3 percent in construction and 10.7 percent in telecommunications.

For 2023, the county collected nearly $28.5 million in taxes on retail sales, down 2.2 percent from 2022. Decreased collections on the sale of home improvements, automobiles and health and personal care products more than offset increased collections in other categories.

Mesa County collected more than $20.7 million in sales taxes in other categories in 2023, a 5.4 percent increase over 2022.

Collections increased in the hotel and restaurant, wholesale and utilities industries, but decreased in the construction, telecommunications and transportation industries.

Use tax collections — most of them on automobiles purchased outside Mesa County, but used inside the county — were down on a year-over-year basis in December and for 2023.

The county collected $299,486 in use taxes in December, down 15 percent from the same month a year ago. For 2023, the county collected almost $4.4 million in use taxes, down 1.9 percent from the prior year.