All Webster County municipalities except one reported increases in sales tax collections in April over the same month in 2002.

Eupora's collections for this April totaled $28,619.21, according to state Tax Commission figures listed in the latest issue of Mississippi Municipalities magazine. The city posted $27,426.35 in collections for April 2002.

This April's figure was also an increase over the March 2003 total of $24,878.55

April sales tax collections in the county's other towns, with March totals in

Maben's collections for April were $6,606.30, down from $9,865.04 a year earlier. But this April's collections were up from the previous month's totals of $6,519.12.

Mantee reported April collections of $1,537.77, compared with $1,100.40 in April 2002 and $1,226.60 in March 2003.

Mathiston's April collections totaled $12,131.59. They were $11,110.35 in April 2002 and $12,216.16 in March 2003.

April collections for Walthall were $2,406.39, compared with $2,041.71 a year earlier and $1,838.86 this March.

The city sales tax collections in the magazine's report are based on taxes collected by retail merchants on purchases made during the previous month. Sales tax money is received by the cities two months later.

- Russell Hood