Friday, April 4, 2008 8:22 PM CDT
OUR VIEW: 'Flat' population affects entire area
By the JG/T-C Editorial Board
editorial@jg-tc.com
Everyone knows the prairie in East-Central Illinois is pretty flat.
The same term describes the area’s population numbers for many, many years.
The seven-county area’s 2007 population of 153,337 was down about 1 percent from 2006, according to recently released figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
While we agree that a 1-percent change from one year to the next is fairly insignificant, the population numbers should cause more concern.
In 1990, the seven-county area had a population of 153,485.
That’s right. More people lived in Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie and Shelby counties in 1990 than lived here in 2007.
While the numbers have declined by just under 150 in 17 years, those numbers are not the kind that have economic developers and chamber of commerce executives turning cartwheels.
Those numbers definitely can be called flat.
While we enjoy many benefits from smaller communities, every community needs some growth.
We enjoy an area with low crime, short commutes to work, knowing many of our neighbors. The area is family-friendly with great community spirit.
There is a lot to like about the Charleston-Mattoon area.
But the census figures also mean there hasn’t been a significant increase in property taxes because new development also hasn’t been significant.
It means sales taxes haven’t increased significantly because the seven-county area has basically the same number of consumers in 2007 as there were in 1990.
The population figures demonstrate the importance of an organization like Coles Together.
The population figures are an indication of why many people worked so long and hard to secure the FutureGen project for Coles and Douglas counties.
The near-zero emissions power plant, which is in doubt after the U.S. Department of Energy reversed its support of the $1.8-billion project, would have meant thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs that would have had an impact on the entire area.
Recently, Mattoon officials indicated they want to stop the city’s leaf vacuuming program as a cost-savings measure.
This week, the Charleston City Council gave preliminary approval for a 9-percent increase in water and sewer rates.
We believe the financial moves in both cities are partially related to the flat population.
Costs go up for city governments and school districts even when populations and enrollments don’t.
When the population base stays the same, or declines even slightly, it means residents’ bills increase.
Few would advocate that East-Central Illinois should double or triple in size or become a metropolis.
But what if the area had grown by 10 percent in 17 years? What if it had grown by 5 percent?
A 10-percent growth from 1990 would mean 168,833 people in the seven-county area in 2007 instead of 153,337.
That would have given the area an increase of more than 15,000 people — a population greater than Cumberland or Moultrie counties and almost as big as Clark and Edgar counties.
If the area had grown 5 percent in 17 years, the 2007 population would have been 161,159 instead of 153,337.
Some growth is important. We support the efforts of those agencies and organizations that are working to bring new jobs and opportunities to the area.
We love the flat landscape of this area, but we believe an increase in the area’s population is a worthy goal.
JG/T-C Editorial Board
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cd wrote on Apr 9, 2008 12:58 PM:
It means sales taxes haven’t increased significantly because the seven-county area has basically the same number of consumers in 2007 as there were in 1990.
The population figures demonstrate the importance of an organization like Coles Together.
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I have no interest in seeing sales or real estate taxes to increase. Every year my RE taxes go up. That is significant to me, and that is without doing anything to the outside of my home. It seems, based on how you wrote it, that a higher population would increase the tax rate. NO THANKS!
Coles Together...what a joke! That along with the city leaders of Charleston, the larger employment jobs go to Mattoon and the Bed & Breakfasts come to Charleston.
Quit your babbling about the needs and accomplish something constructive, especially for Charleston. "