You are here

Area census results key to increased funding, representation for cities

Share |

By Andrea Leptinsky Friday, 12 March 2010

GEORGETOWN — The 2010 census is at the doorstep for all Americans this spring. Depending on participation from local residents, Williamson County stands to see more federal funding, additional government representation and an increased level of responsibility in municipality management.

Aside from getting accurate numbers of residents living in the country, those who participate in the census control what resources communities receive from the government. Obtaining accurate community data is crucial in nationally apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and deciding how more than $400 billion per year is allocated toward local projects, such as sidewalks, community centers and schools.

The census form is also taking on a new look for 2010. The form is one of the shortest in recent history, with only 10 questions that will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Looking locally: Georgetown

The census is integral for Georgetown’s development as the city stands to pass its 50,000-population benchmark once results are released later this year. With this, new responsibilities and services will be available, such as:

Expansion of extraterritorial jurisdiction,
A seat on the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s board of directors,
Community Development Block Grant funding eligibility, and
Financial responsibility for traffic signals and signs.

Census numbers will also have a direct impact on local and national government for the city as well, said Keith Hutchinson, public information officer for the City of Georgetown. Another U.S. House representative will be added for the area and another seat on the Georgetown City Council will also be created.

“Having accurate numbers will aid the city financially, as well as allowing us the opportunity for enhanced and greater representation on a regional basis,” said Paul Brandenburg, Georgetown city manager. “Accurate numbers will be very important as the city exceeds 50,000 people, which is our estimate.”

The Census Bureau estimated Georgetown’s population increased 75 percent between 2000 and 2008, a path of growth that has been carefully watched and planned, Brandenburg said.

“I think we’ve had quality growth, which is important,” Brandenburg said. “We’ve been able to have outstanding service levels and protect our charm and preserve our identity through the growth we’ve had over the last 10 years.”

Looking locally: Hutto

The last decade has provided Hutto with an increase in population from 1,250 residents in the 2000 Census to nearly 14,000 residents as part of the Census Bureau’s 2008 estimate. That’s a 1,020 percent population increase and one so significant—and continual—that even when 2010 census numbers are released later this year, the city is sure to still be growing.

“There will be another piece of property that we will be annexing in December that will bring in 3,000 people,” said Edward Broussard, Hutto city manager. “Even when census numbers come out, they won’t reflect the true population size of Hutto.”

As one of the fastest growing cities in Texas, Hutto has seen a significant change to its visual landscape within the last decade. Where there were only three Hutto school buildings in 2000, there are now five elementary schools, two middle schools and one new high school. Thanks to a recent bond election, property may be purchased to build a second high school, construction on which will most likely begin within five years, Broussard said.

The city itself has also improved because of the higher level of accountability at which residents hold the city.

“The City of Hutto organization, on a professional level, has increased a hundred fold,” Broussard said. “You can take a look at the debts and budgets that were being run in 2000 … just providing basic services was a struggle. The current staff, and the accolades it has received, has let Hutto emerge as a leader in smaller-sized cities with a phenomenal group of professional employees.”

Looking locally: Taylor

While the City of Taylor saw growth within the last decade, it does not come close to the skyrocketing percentage increases seen in both Georgetown and Hutto’s populations. Because of this, Taylor City Manager Jim Dunaway said having an accurate count will weigh heavily on the city’s ability to grow successfully and feasibly.

“An accurate count of the city’s population means so much,” he said. “Taylor has about 25 percent of its projects funded through grants [from the government].”

The City of Taylor saw continued growth and development between 2000 and 2010. The 2000 Census counted Taylor as having a population size of more than 13,500. In 2008, the bureau estimated Taylor had reached a population of 16,000, an 18.5 percent spike in residents.

“Since 2000, the community has improved in many, many ways,” Dunaway said. “In particular, the improvement and construction of a needed infrastructure, such as streets, water and wastewater improvements.”

Being counted

Hutchinson said he has heard of several reasons why people are second guessing their participation in the census.

“We’ve seen politicians on a national level cite concerns about information sharing with other agencies,” Hutchinson said. “The Bureau will not do that and there are steep fines for any census employees who violate that confidentiality. It’s really simple.”

How is a census taken?

The 2010 census will be a historic event for the U.S. Census Bureau.

It is the first time the survey will be widely distributed in Spanish and English. It will be the first time the bureau prints on eco-friendly paper. The form will be one of the shortest and easiest to complete in the census’s more than 200-year history.

It is also the first time GPS-enabled handheld computers will be used to gather and verify address information for the upcoming count, which started throughout the country earlier this year.

For the 2010 census, 10 primary questions and seven questions about each resident in a household covering name, gender, race, ethnicity, relationship and residence will be delivered via mail.

Printing of the forms started July 27, 2009, and will continue through March 2010 at a rate of about 1.5 million per day. They will be mailed to more than 120 million households.

The main effort to collect data began in March, when residents should start to receive census forms in the mail. By April 1—Census Day —the forms should have been returned by mail to the Census Bureau.

Those who do not respond will be mailed a second questionnaire. Between April and July 2010, census takers will visit households that did not return forms to record census data manually.

This fall, census workers will check completed questionnaires, which are made ready for processing by computers that will compile the data into statistical tables for publication.

The Bureau must deliver population counts to the president for distribution no later than Dec. 31, 2010. By March 2011, the bureau will have delivered redistricting data to states. Data such as demographic profiles and reports will be released from April 2011 through September 2013.

Community Development Block Grant funding can be used for construction of public facilities, rehabilitation of structures and economic development activities.
City	2000 Population	2009 Funding
Austin	656,562	$7,522,791
Waco	113,726	$1,669,833
Round Rock	61,136	$413,341
Temple	54,514	$515,508
Georgetown	28,339	Not eligible

Georgetown’s ties to Census 2010

The 2010 census got a boost in the greater Austin area when a local office in Georgetown opened in January 2009—the first census office to open in the area. The office serves a 15-county area and is supervising the early stages of the census.

The office put much of its focus on recruiting census workers for the actual event. Up to 1,500 positions have been filled through the Georgetown office’s recruiting efforts since it opened last year. Most recruits have worked verifying addresses in neighborhoods, while others work in filing and training. A new round of workers will begin going door to door throughout the 15-county area after April 1 in order to obtain responses from those who did not return their forms.