According to Governor Haley Barbour's office, state revenues were off by over 10 percent, or more than $44.9 million below estimates. Total collections for the first three months of Fiscal Year 2010 were off by 7.68 percent, or approximately $83.2 million.

"By comparison, total collections for July to September 2009 are $128 million less than collections for July to September 2008," Barbour said in a statement last week. "This amounts to an approximately 12 percent decline from last year. And, this number includes $23 million more in tobacco tax revenue year to date in FY 2010."

Locally, the numbers have not been any better.

Senatobia's tax rebate for August 2009 was just over $145,000. That is a difference of nearly $20,000 from where the city's rebate was in August of 2008, when it was over $162,000.

July 1 to date for 2009 was approximately $288,000, which was down significantly from 2008 at $323,000.

Coldwater's rebate for August 2009 was approximately $17,000, off by over $2,000 from August 2008. Their year-to-date totals were also down, at $32,000 compared with $38,000 for 2008.

Locally, those falling numbers helped cause Senatobia to raise its millage by two mills this year. Coldwater held its tax rate steady.

On the state level, more cuts to programs - including education - are looming, as state law requires the governor to balance the budget.

"These dismal facts reinforce what I said earlier," said Barbour. "It is likely that more spending cuts will be necessary in this fiscal year to ensure a balanced state budget. The fact that state law will not permit me to cut any agency more than 5 percent until every agency is cut at least 5 percent may present some additional challenges."

In Mississippi, only municipalities, not county governments, receive sales tax rebates.

Email News Editor Melissa Turner

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