Retail sales for fiscal year 2020- 21 showed slight gains over the previous fiscal year, according to figures just released by the Concordia Sales Tax Collection Agency.

Retail sales parish wide was $267-million during the past fiscal year, up from the $260-million in sales the previous fiscal year, amounting to 2.5% increase in sales.

However, retail sales in the town of Jena rose by 9.5%, and retail sales in the town of Olla rose by 14% between the two fiscal years.

Part of each fiscal year was affected by the prolonged shutdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, during most of this time, essential businesses, which generate the majority of sales taxes, continued to operate.

Also adding to the increased sales in the parish was the extra Covid-19 relief money provided to residents, and the fact that more shoppers chose to stay home and shop instead of traveling to neighboring towns.

On the first of three one-cent sales tax collected by the LaSalle Parish School Board, collection was up by $66,036.14 from the previous year.

In 2019-20, the school board collected $2,599,875.88, compared to $2,665,912.02 collected in 2020-21. This accounted for a 2.5% increase between the two years.

School Board

As noted above, the school board collected $2,665,912.02 on the first 1-cent sales tax. The board also collected $2,635,964.60 on the second 1-cent sales tax and $2,633,964.53 on the third 1-cent sales tax.

The first two of the sales taxes collected by the school board are dedicated for school employee’s salary supplements, with 80-percent of each tax going for salary bonuses and 20-percent of each going into the board’s general fund for other expenses. The third 1-cent sales tax is dedicated strictly for school construction projects.

Law Enforcement

The LaSalle Parish law enforcement one-half cent sales tax was also up for the past fiscal year, with $18,958.75, or 1.5-percent more collected than during the previous year.

Total collection for the law enforcement district during the fiscal year just ended was $1,316,982.23, compared to $1,298,023.48 collected in fiscal year 2019-20.

In fiscal year 2011-12, the collection of the one-half cent sales tax went over the $1-million mark for just the second time. During the past three fiscal years, collections have remained above the $1 million mark.

In the first full fiscal year the tax was collected – 2008-09 – it went just a little above $1-million, but for the next two years dropped below that mark, all the way down to $875,279 in 2009-10.

The half-cent sales tax was approved by voters and went into effect on April 1, 2008. The LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office uses proceeds from the tax for salaries, equipment, and other expenses in providing law enforcement parish wide.

Town of Jena

Retail sales in the town of Jena rose about 9.5-percent between the two past fiscal years. The town collected $104,813.04 more in sales tax in year 2020-21 than it did in 2019-20. Collections this past year totaled $1,223,379.62 compared to collections of $1,118,566.58 during fiscal year 2019-20.

Sales in the town were $122.3-million during 2020-21, up quite a bit from $111.9-million the previous year. Retail sales have remained steady in Jena for the past four years, after jumping by leaps and bounds during the previous few years.

Retail sales in the town of Jena represent almost half of the sales parish wide with most of the larger retail businesses in the parish being located in the parish seat.

The town’s sales tax monies are used to pay expenses of operating the town’s wastewater treatment facility, with excess funds being available for use in the sewer, street or drainage departments.

Town of Olla

The Town of Olla also saw about a 14-percent increase in retail sales during the past year, going from $25.3 million in 2019- 20 to $28.9-million in 2020-21.

The town collected $34,819.29 more in sales tax this past year than it did the year earlier. In 2019-20, total collections came to $253,997.98, compared to $288,817.25 during 2020-21.

The town of Olla started collecting a 1-cent sales tax in the municipality in January 1996 to help offset expenses in the sewer department.

Town of Tullos

The town of Tullos collected a total of $79,492.83 in sales taxes during the past fiscal year, the first full fiscal year since the tax went into effect.

For the first five months of 2020, total sales tax collection for the Town of Tullos amounted to $24,654.90. The town started collecting the tax in January 2020, with taxes received by the town from February through June.

Police Jury

The LaSalle Parish Police Jury started collecting a one-half cent sales tax to fund the parish wide garbage service in January of this year. The total collected during the last five months of fiscal year 2020-21 amounted to $490,660.18. During a full fiscal year, collections for the tax are expected to run around $1.3 million (the same as the law enforcement half-cent tax receipts.)