Sales tax collections, a key measure of retail activity, continue to increase on a year-over-year basis in Mesa County.

The county collected nearly $4.6 million in January, an increase of almost $277,000 and 6.4 percent over the same month a year ago.

January collections reflect sales in December and the traditional holiday shopping season.

Mesa County tax collections on retail sales topped $2.8 million, a year-over-year increase of nearly $58,000 and 2.1 percent. Collections increased in six of eight categories, but decreased for home improvements and health and personal care goods.

Sales tax collections also increased in most other industry categories, including a 98.6 percent gain in utilities, 57.5 percent gain in oil and natural gas and 53.9 percent gain in construction.

Mesa County distributed more than $1.7 million in sales tax collections to municipalities in the county — more than $1 million to Grand Junction.

Mesa County also collected more than $357,000 in use taxes in January —  nearly all of that on automobiles purchased outside the county, but used in the county. That’s an increase of $9,306 and 2.7 percent increase over the same month last year.