12/31/18 – 4:55 A.M.
Hancock County sales tax collections finished up 3 percent for 2018. In the final report of the year from the auditor’s office, collections came in at more than $15.4 million. That’s up from $14.9 million in 2017 and $13.6 million in 2016.
Sales tax collections for December came in 2 percent higher than during the same time period last year. Hancock County received more than $1.15 million this month. That’s up from $1.12 million last December.
Hancock County’s sales tax is 1 percent. A quarter of that is set aside for flood mitigation, but it expires at the end of today. The Hancock County Commissioners voted to replace it with another quarter percent tax to help fund the construction of a new juvenile and probate court building and the expansion of the county jail.