Hurricanes help push sales tax collection to new high for Vermilion Parish

It is not uncommon to see sales tax collection jump when there a disaster such as a flood due to a hurricane or heavy rain because parish residents spend money to repair their homes. Well, that theory is holding up once again.
Despite limited access to restaurants or bars and movie theaters, Vermilion Parish residents spent their money to either get ready for the busy hurricane season or to repair their homes after hurricane season.
In November, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of hurricane season, residents spent an impressive $430 million.
Before the pandemic and with a normal hurricane season, the average dollar spent in November was $380 million. Only once, since 2011, has Vermilion Parish spent more than $400 million in November. That was in 2013.
Because of the residents’ spending increase, sales tax collection in November was positive.
How positive?
As a whole, the parish collected $581,000 more in sales tax than a year ago when there was no pandemic.
The parish collected $3.5 million this past November, compared to $2.9 million last year.
The big three (School Board, Police Jury, and Sheriff’s Office) had a 22 percent increase in sales collection in November.
For example, the Police Jury collected $983,000 this November and only $803,000 last November.
The Sheriff’s Office collected just under $100,000 more.
The city of Abbeville had an increase in sales tax collection of 11 percent or $40,000. The city recently collected $431,000.
The town of Gueydan had an increase of 19 percent for a total collection of $16,500.
Kaplan’s collection was up 15 percent for a total collection of $59,000
Erath had an 8 percent increase for a collection of $22,000.
The town of Delcambre saw the most significant increase of 29 percent. The town collected $19,600, which is $4,000 more than normal.
.The hotels and motels were still occupied with hurricane evacuees in November, which helped increase the Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission Sales Tax Collection. The collection doubled from $3,000 to $6,000.
The Village of Maurice remained the same in sales tax collection. The Village collected $71,000, an increase of only $800.