Quachita 3rd Quarter Sales Tax Collections Down

MONROE, La. (AP) — Ouachita Parish retail sales and sales tax collections ticked down slightly in September, closing out the third quarter on a sour note.

The News-Star reports combined sales tax collections for all Ouachita taxing jurisdictions were down 2 percent compared with the same month in 2011.

But economist Bob Eisenstadt said the one-month dip shouldn't cause alarm going into the critical holiday shopping season.

He says the three-month running average still shows solid 3.1 percent growth compared to 2011.

Eisenstadt, director of the University of Louisiana at Monroe's Center for Business and Research, has issued a preliminary holiday forecast of 4 percent to 6 percent sales gains in November and December.