Sales tax collections, a key measure of retail activity, continue to trend upward in Grand Junction and Mesa County.

The City of Grand Junction reported a 10.1 percent increase in sales tax collections in October compared to the same month last year. Mesa County reported an 8.3 percent year-over-year gain. October reports reflect September sales.

City lodging tax collections dropped in October, although year-to-date collections in 2022 outpace 2021.

The City of Grand Junction collected more than $5.9 million in sales taxes, an increase of nearly $544,000 over what was collected a year ago. The city also received almost $987,000 as its share of sales tax Mesa County collects and distributes back to municipalities, an 18.7 percent increase.

The city collected nearly $144,000 in use taxes, a 19.5 percent decline from a year ago.

Through the first 10 months of 2022, the city collected almost $53.7 million in sales taxes. That’s an increase of more than $5 million and 10.4 percent over the same span in 2021. The city collected more than $8.8 million as its share of county sales tax, a gain of 11.8 percent. Use tax collections rose 37.7 percent to more than $1.3 million.

Mesa County collected more than $4.3 million in sales taxes in October, an increase of more than $330,000 compared to the same month last year.

The county also collected more than $386,000 in use taxes, nearly all of that assessed on automobiles purchased outside the county, but used inside the county. That’s an increase of 12.1 percent over the same month last year.

County tax collections on retail sales exceeded $2.4 million, an increase of 5 percent. Collections increased 2 percent on hotel stays and restaurant meals, 9 percent on manufacturing and 14.6 percent on telecommunications.

Through the first 10 months of 2022, county sales tax collections topped $40.7 million, an increase of almost $4 million and 10.8 percent over the same span in 2021. Use tax collections increased 4.2 percent to almost $3.7 million.

Year-to-date tax collections on retail sales grew 7.6 percent to nearly $24.3 million. Collections increased for every other industry category, including gains of 8.1 percent in the hotel and restaurant category, 14.7 percent in manufacturing and 22.9 percent in telecommunications.

Grand Junction lodging tax collections, a measure of hotel and motel stays in the city, topped $488,000 in October. That’s a decrease of nearly $19,500 and 3.8 percent from the same month a year ago.

Year-to-date lodging tax collections totaled nearly $4 million. That’s an increase of more than $841,000 and 27 percent from 2021.