Bryan County collected a record high $5 million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax money in 2010.

That’s according to Josh Fenn, executive director of the Development Authority of Bryan County, who shared the figure at a Rotary Club of Richmond Hill luncheon on Thursday.

“This is a phenomenal number,” Fenn said of the 2010 total, which is almost 14 percent more than the total received the prior year. “We’re very encouraged about that.”

The additional 1-cent SPLOST brings the sales tax levied in the county to 7 cents on the dollar. The money from the tax pays for a slew of projects around the county, including newly paved roads, and helps local governments rely less on property taxes, Fenn said.

The Development Authority is the recruitment and economic development arm of the county government. According to Fenn, the county collected $4.4 million in SPLOST money in 2009, $4.8 million in 2008 and $4.1 million in 2007. As in previous years, about half of last year’s total SPLOST revenue came from motor fuel sales.

Helping to spur the 2010 increase in funds were local chambers of commerce programs that encourage people to shop local, according to information from Fenn.

For more, pick up a copy of the March 12 edition of the News.