Gaming taxes from Vicksburg’s five casinos paid to the city, county and local school district were up nearly 10 percent in the March report compared to last year, bringing totals back in line with projections.

Total proceeds from the 3.2 percent revenue tax collected by local casinos — of which the city gets 65 percent, Warren County 25 percent and the school district 10 percent — were roughly $915,000 in March compared to $832,000 in the March report a year ago.

A second revenue tax — an 0.8 percent share of the state’s 8.8 percent revenue tax — netted about $229,000 for the city and county, which splits the funds nearly evenly, based on populations. Last March the tax netted about $208,000.

When combined, total gaming tax collections were up 9.9 percent in March. The increase came as welcome news to City Accountant Doug Whittington, especially considering gaming tax revenues took a 22 percent tumble in February compared to the year previous.

The local year-to-date figures are what really matter.

“This month put both the 3.2 percent tax and the 0.8 tax just about back in line with what we had budgeted for,” said Whittington. “They’re right at only half a percent down now, thanks to March. It certainly helped us.”

Halfway through the fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, gaming revenues are down about 7 percent compared to 2009 fiscal year to date figures. However, Whittington had factored in decreased revenues of nearly that much in the current $31.5 million city operating budget. Total gaming tax revenues were down 3.8 percent last fiscal year compared to 2008.

Comparison with state figures shows a reversal of March revenue numbers for the state’s 30 licensed casinos released by the Mississippi Gaming Commission last week. Collectively, state casinos saw revenues dip by roughly $20 million — nearly 10 percent — to $212.5 million, compared to March 2009.

However, that does not necessarily mean Vicksburg casinos were booming last month while the rest of the state’s went bust.

“When you’re talking about revenue reports for the entire state and local gaming tax revenue reports, you’re really talking about two different reporting time periods,” said Kathy Waterbury, communications director for the Mississippi Tax Commission. “It’s not an apples to apples comparison, because one is a month to month report and the other really a mid-month to mid-month report.”

In Vicksburg, March sales tax revenues netted the city about $600,000 — down about 4.5 percent compared to March 2009. The city gets an 18.5 percent share of all sales taxes collected in the city limits. Fiscal year to date collections total $3.5 million, down about 7 percent compared to last fiscal year — but down less significantly compared to budget estimates, said Whittington.

“Sales taxes are down just 1.3 percent compared to budget, which when you’re talking about $7.2 million is pretty OK,” he said.

Whittington said stronger than expected property tax collections in February and March, following the Jan. 31 deadline, have total city revenues looking in line with budgeted expenditures for the remainder of the fiscal year.

“I certainly see us meeting the budget as far as revenue is concerned,” he said.

Whittington said 94 percent of all personal property taxes have been collected to date, equaling about $3.2 million of a budgeted $3.4 million. Commercial property taxes have netted another $3 million thus far, well above the $2.7 million the city expected to collect in its budget. Gaming revenue, sales and property taxes account for about 75 percent of the city’s total operating funds.

Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com