By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham Finance Director Tom Seale said he is “encouraged” by the city’s year-to-date sales tax collections, and said the numbers are slightly higher than they were last year.

Through February, Pelham saw an about 3-percent uptick in its sales tax collections compared with the same time period in 2012, Seale said.

“We are actually working on our March numbers right now, and the sales tax collections are dead-on. They are right where we projected them,” Seale said on April 10, noting the March city financial information would be finalized in “about a week.”

During a recent City Council work session, Pelham Mayor Gary Waters said the city has collected about $183,000 more than projected in its revenues and has spent about $143,000 less than projected in city expenses.

Through February, the city was nearly even with its property tax and business license tax collection projections. Pelham is about 5 percent higher than projections on its lodging tax collections, and about 13 percent higher than projections with its use tax collections.

“That’s very encouraging to me. The department heads have been good about watching their numbers,” Seale said during the work session.

Pelham Councilman Ron Scott, the former director of the Economic Development Association, said he believes the city is seeing an increase in economic activity and business interest in the city.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts store currently is working to construct a new distribution center near the intersection of U.S. 31 and Village Drive.

“I get the sense there’s more activity,” Scott said of the city’s economy during the work session.

“The mayor said he has had multiple inquiries from businesses wanting to locate to Pelham,” Seale said.