MAY SALES TAX UP 7 PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR

Cape Girardeau County merchants took in 7 percent more money this month than last May, as reflected in the latest sales tax figures.

County Auditor Weldon Macke presented the figures to the County Commission Thursday morning. He said they weren't anything out of the ordinary as the county's sales tax has increased steadily over the past several years.

The slowest amount of annual increase in recent history was in 1991, the highest in 1994.

Use-tax figures were down slightly in May. The tax is collected from out-of-state vendors who sell in the county, but use-tax money is being kept in Jefferson City until the courts rule if the tax is legal.