Sales tax collections for the 2016 fiscal year indicate the local business climate is improving.

In Andalusia, sales tax collections are up 6.5 percent year to date, over the same period in the 2015, City Clerk John Thompson said.

And tax collections in February (for January 2016 sales) were up 26 percent compared to the previous year.

The City of Andalusia collected $677,792 in sales taxes in February of 2016, as compared to $536,907 in sales taxes in February of 2015.

“We really aren’t sure what is driving this,” Thompson said. “The only logical thing is that beach traffic has increased.”

A year ago, beach traffic was being rerouted from Hwy. 55 because of a bridge replacement in Lockhart.

“We are realizing more and more how important this traffic is to our economy,” Thompson said. “The interest businesses have in locating on the West Bypass indicate we aren’t the only ones who see this.”

Figures from the City of Opp also show an increase for the year.

Year to date, the City of Opp has collected $866,069 in sales taxes, compared to $840,983 in the same period last year, or a 2.9 percent increase.