Retail Sales Tax Collections For Three Of The Four Metropolitan Statistical Areas In Northeast Tennessee In September Remain Up. According To Numbers From Middle Tennessee State University’s Business And Economic Research Center, The Seasonally Adjusted Year-Over-Year Collections In Johnson City Was Up 3.8 Percent, Kingsport And Bristol Were Up 3.2 Percent And Knoxville Showed A 3.6 Percent Increase. Retail Sales And Sales Tax Collection Are Growing Thanks To Wage Increases And A Big Consumer Boost Due To Lower Gas Prices.