12/21/17 – 5:05 A.M.

Hancock County will finish 2017 with slightly higher sales tax revenue than in 2016. The Hancock County Auditor’s Office reports collections through December totaled a little more than $14.9 million. Last year the final number was $14.8 million.

Numbers were down in December. The county collected just over $1.1 million, a 6 percent decline from a year ago. December tax collections reflect September sales. The money returned to the county from the state is usually delayed around three months.