Rebs have 31 home dates this spring

By Alyssa Schnugg
Senior reporter

The city of Oxford’s sales and tourism taxes have shown an increase for the first half of the fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30 for the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

Along with sales taxes, the city also collects a 2 percent food and beverage and hotel/motel tax, sometimes referred to as the tourism taxes.

Much of the city’s tourism tax revenue is generated on football and SEC baseball weekends. In 2023, there were seven home football games and 33 home baseball games, with 15 of those games being SEC games. In 2024, there will be 31 home baseball games (15 SEC games) and seven home football games.

According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, from July 1 through Dec. 31, the sales tax generated from Oxford’s businesses is $7.2 million, up from $6.8 million during the same time frame in 2022.

Oxford’s 2 percent food and beverage tax is also up, from $2,324,264 in 2022 from July 1 through Dec. 31 to $2,375,264 from the same six-month period. 

The hotel/motel tax is up from $380,723 from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2022, to $522,958 during the same six months in 2023.