NATCHEZ &8212; Food and lodging tax revenues coming to city government jumped almost 26 percent in November from the same month in 2004, according to city figures.

But the numbers really belong to September and Katrina &8212; cities get such revenues back from the State Tax Commission two months after those taxes are collected by hotels, bed-and-breakfast inns and restaurants.

Those revenues totaled $28,843 &8212; up 25.87 percent from $22.915 received in November 2004.

That&8217;s also up 21.4 percent from $23,757 received in October of this year, when Natchez was just starting to see the revenue effects of the late August storm and thousands of evacuees who made Natchez home.

While proceeds of the food and lodging tax can only be used to pay off debt on the Natchez Convention Center, City Clerk Donnie Holloway said it doesn&8217;t hurt to have the money.

&8220;That&8217;s money we can save&8221; to pay off the convention center in the future, Holloway said.

In addition, it serves as an indicator of how different sectors of the Natchez economy were impacted by evacuees&8217; business.

The figures didn&8217;t surprise Day&8217;s Inn manager Cherry Moon at all. She said September&8217;s occupancy &8212; virtually all the hotel&8217;s rooms &8212; was up about 80 percent over September of last year.

&8220;Over three-fourths (of evacuees) are gone now, but we still have some here,&8221; Moon said.

The figures also sounded right to Rom Brumfield, manager of the Natchez Eola Hotel. Compared to a September average occupancy rate of 55 percent, this September stood at 86 percent.

&8220;So it&8217;s been good for our business,&8221; Brumfield said of evacuees&8217; migration to Natchez. &8220;It made about 900 room nights&8217; difference.&8221;

Depending on whom you talk to, it also made some difference in restaurants&8217; business.

Patricia Clark, owner of the Cock of the Walk restaurant, said she didn&8217;t see an increase in business in September from evacuees. &8220;Most of them, I think, weren&8217;t eating out or were going to the fast-food restaurants,&8221; she said.

However, Biscuits & Blues Manager Kim Minton said that restaurant did feel the effects.

&8220;It&8217;s slowed down some, but yes, we did see an increase&8221; in business, Minton said. &8220;We&8217;ve only had two really slow weeks, and it&8217;s picking back up for the Christmas season.&8221;