Sales tax collections distributed by the state in November rose in six out of seven counties in southwest and west-central Ohio, but Greene County’s string of 29 consecutive months of year-over-year increases in sales tax collections came to a halt, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Montgomery County recorded its 30th consecutive month of increases, and Clark and Miami counties reported double-digit growth.

Sales tax collections are considered a barometer of the health of the retail sector, which accounts for about two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

Greene County sales tax revenues — based on purchases made at Greene County businesses in August and disbursed by the state to the county in November — fell $20,000 to $1.81 million, a 1.1 percent drop from the same period in 2011. For the year to date, however, Greene County’s sales tax disbursements have risen about 4.2 percent over 2011.

Montgomery County sales tax revenues rose $282,000 from a year earlier to $5.6 million, a 5.3 percent increase. Warren County reported a 3 percent increase over the same period a year ago to more than $2.5 million, while Butler County reported a 7.9 percent increase to about $2.9 million. Clark County collections rose 10.9 percent to about $1.8 million, and Miami County also recorded double-digit growth of 11.2 percent to more than $1.2 million. Champaign County’s sales tax collections rose 7.8 percent to $389,000.

“I’m not overly concerned with a one-month decrease,” said Greene County Auditor David A. Graham. “I still feel comfortable that we’re up for the year.”

Graham, interviewed by phone Tuesday during a break in a conference in Columbus, noted that one-time anomalies can skew the monthly sales-tax figures, although he wasn’t sure whether such an anomaly affected Greene County’s November disbursement. Sales tax revenues represent the largest single source of income for Greene County’s general fund, and their steady rise over the last two-plus years have helped Greene and other counties offset cuts in state funding, Graham said.