NATCHEZ —Sales tax receipts for the City of Natchez dropped more than 9 percent in the most recent reports.

February’s sales tax numbers, which reflect business that took place in December 2015, are more than 9 percent lower than those of December 2014.

December 2015’s sales were more than $520,000, compared to approximately $577,000 in 2014.

This makes five months in a row that Natchez has seen a decrease in sales tax income to the city compared to the previous year.

Reports from sales in August to November show 6.7 percent, 3.5 percent, 9.6 percent and 4.9 percent drops respectively.

Natchez City Clerk Donnie Holloway has said sales tax is a fairly accurate way of measuring the growth of Natchez tourism.

Next month’s numbers will reflect sales from the beginning of the city’s tricentennial celebration.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said sales tax receipts should begin to increase because of the tricentennial celebration.

“I’m thinking positive,” Brown said. “I’m optimistic that we’re still going to have a very good tricentennial year.”

The city is expecting approximately 20 percent more people visiting Natchez in 2016 compared to previous years, he said.

Brown said he believes the closings of the Eola Hotel and Isle of Capri affected the sales tax numbers in 2015.

“We’re getting more and more day trippers every year,” Brown said. “One of the overriding reasons they’re not staying is because we don’t have room for them. When you knock out 250 rooms from inventory practically overnight, that’s the crack we fall into.”

Local attorney Tony Heidelberg, who represents the Magnolia Bluff Casino, said the casino would likely reopen the former Isle of Capri hotel by the end of February.