NATCHEZ &045; The city’s sales tax revenues fell almost 25 percent for January compared to the previous month.

Sales tax revenues to the city were $18,273 in January versus $21,688 in December.

But that decrease happens each year as the relative sales tax boom of December’s pre-Christmas shopping rush gives way to the penny-pinching days of January.

The city’s sales tax revenues had been up 8 percent for December compared to November.

&uot;That’s about the way it usually runs,&uot; City Clerk Donnie Holloway said this week of the figures the city received from the state.

&uot;It usually falls off in January but picks back up in March and April&uot; with Spring Pilgrimage bringing in visitors, he said.

However, sales tax revenues collected for January and reported this month were up 4.35 percent from the $16,374 reported in January of last year, according to city figures.

Similarly, city food and lodging taxes collected for January and reported this month were down almost 16 percent compared to December &045; from $465,517 to $352,053 &045; but up 11.6 percent compared to the $337,378 reported in January 2004.

The city’s food and lodging tax revenues also rose 4.77 percent in November compared to the same month the previous year.