Natchez — Sales tax collections are on track to be up from last year, with sales in February and May — the city’s two most profitable months in 2010 — both increasing this year.

Collections received in February, which reflect sales in December, increased 2.9 percent or approximately $14,000 from last February. February 2010 was the least profitable February in the past five years

Collections in May increased the most and were $473,858, up 5.88 percent over last May’s collections. Collections are reported two months after the fact.

Natchez City Clerk Donnie Holloway said revenues during the holidays in December and Spring Pilgrimage in May are typically higher than in other months.

Collections for March were $363,790, down 6 percent from last March’s collections of $387,016 and the lowest March collections since the 2004-05 fiscal year.

The city, however, saw an upward trend in collections for April, May and June 2011.

Collections for July, August and September all declined when compared to 2010.

Holloway said he talked to business owners around town, and they said the summer’s hot weather put a damper on their business.

To date collections are up .12 percent from the previous fiscal year.