April tax collections fall short of forecast

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — After perking up in March, Mississippi tax collections fell short of expectations again in April.

Gov. Haley Barbour said yesterday that April revenue was 8.5 percent below estimates. That is a $45.1-million shortfall.

However, Barbour says there will not be a need for additional budget cuts. He has already trimmed spending five times since the fiscal year began last July 1.

Mississippi’s tax collections have missed the mark for 19 of the past 20 months. March was the exception.

Barbour says the April numbers confirm that economic recovery could be slow during a global downturn.