LIVINGSTON - Officials say Livingston Parish sales tax collections increased 50 percent over the same month last year as post-flood reconstruction and motor vehicle purchases continued to drive sales.

The October collections figures represent sales made in September, the first full month after the flood, when property owners shifted gears from ripping out flooring and furnishings to lining up materials and contractors.

Motor vehicle tax collections saw the biggest spike, more than tripling last October's figures - $4.5 million in 2016, compared to $1.3 million in 2015.

Mike Curtis, administrator of the Livingston Parish School Board's Sales Tax Division, said he expects one more month of strong car sales before the bottom drops out. Construction material purchases also are likely to fall off around January or February.