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

The county reported collecting nearly $4.7 million in sales taxes in June, an increase of almost $26,000 and six-tenths of a percent over the same month in 2022.

For the first half of 2023, the county reported collecting nearly $23.9 million in sales taxes. That was almost $469,000 and 2 percent more than the first half of 2022.

Mesa County also collected more than $9 million in sales taxes during the first half of 2023 allocated to five cities and towns in the county. Grand Junction received nearly $5.3 million, Fruita more than $1.6 million and Palisade almost $1.2 million.

The county assesses a 2 percent sales tax — 1 percent for a capital fund, 0.45 percent for the general fund and a total of 0.55 percent for the five cities and towns.

The county reported collecting nearly $2.5 million in taxes on retail sales in June, a 2.9 percent decrease from the same month a year ago. Year-over-year losses in three categories more than offset gains in five other categories. Collections on general merchandise, the biggest category, rose 4.6 percent to more than $733,000. Collections on home improvements, the second largest category, dropped 18.2 percent to almost $520,000.

Sales tax collections rose 9.2 percent for other industries in June. Collections increased in the wholesale, hotel and restaurant and telecommunications categories, but fell in the manufacturing and professional categories.

For the first half of 2023, collections on retail sales totaled nearly $14 million, a decrease of almost $289,000 and 2 percent from the first half of 2022. Collections rose for general merchandise and food and beverages, but declined for home improvements.

Sales tax collections rose 8.3 percent for other industries during the first half of 2023 compared to the same span in 2022. Collections rose in the wholesale, hotel and restaurant and manufacturing categories, but fell for the telecommunications category.

Use taxes — most collected on automobiles purchased outside the county, but used inside the county — fell 15.1 percent on a year-over-year basis to almost $350,000 in June. For the first half of 2023, use tax collected edged down a tenth of a percent to nearly $2.2 million.