Mayor Mike Inman has appointed more than a dozen people to a Complete Count Census Committee, hoping to make sure everyone in Macomb is counted when the nation conducts the decennial census next year. But he acknowledged the city's population figure is not likely to remain at 21,500.
“I think the reality is that the number will be less than that. That’s why I think it’s so important we get an accurate count from the very beginning,” Inman said.
The numbers matter because the amount of federal funding and grants sent to cities, counties, and states is based on population totals. The U.S. Census Bureau said that money – some $675 billion per year – goes to schools, hospitals, road projects, and other entities and programs.
Macomb faces a few challenges in trying to ensure a complete count. Inman said it can be difficult to convince people aged 18 to 24 to participate. He hoped the city’s committee can encourage young people to take part.
“The committee we have is very student-centric. We have a number of students from student government (at Western Illinois University) that would be helping us get the word out on a very broad level. And we have administration and middle management positions within the university community to make sure that we get the message out,” he said.
“We’re trying. And I think this sets the right tone for where we need to be.”
Inman said WIU students should be counted as local residents because they spend the majority of the year in Macomb.
The city is also concerned about the dwindling number of students and workers at Western. Both figures have dropped in recent years as Western has struggled with the two-year state budget impasse and its aftermath, and the WIU administration has said it will announce even more layoffs on March 1.
Inman said young people are not the only ones difficult to count. He said some senior citizens are reluctant to participate in the census because of privacy concerns.
In addition, he said much of the next census will be conducted online and some seniors might not be comfortable doing that.
“We’ve already had discussions both at the state level and at the staff level here in City Hall talking about strategies already about how we get folks in front of computers, what we can do to encourage that, and do all sorts of outreach,” he said.
Inman believes the Census Bureau is still working out details about how it will reach out to people electronically.
Inman is also helping the state with its headcount. He said former Governor Bruce Rauner appointed him to the state’s Complete Count Census Committee. Inman said the group has been meeting for the past year.
America’s decennial census will be done April 1, 2020.
