MOUNT VERNON — With the completion of the 2010 census, the city anticipates a slight population increase from its 2000 population status of 14,375. However, the city administration believes it will see mostly a population shift within the city itself due to development in certain areas. Nevertheless, this micropolitan area continues to grow.
“Regardless of whether the numbers have changed on the 2010 census or not, we will have to review the wards,” said City Council President John Booth.
Census numbers have not been released to the city for review as of yet, said Booth, but he expects to receive the information by late winter or early spring. When the information is released, Booth will assign a special committee to review the ward boundaries and the ward populations.
“In the past, the committee has consisted of four members of City Council which are assigned to that committee by the council president. They will then take the census figures and study the [previous] population with the new population and they will look at the ward boundaries to know how many people are in each ward now. They have to, by the Ohio Revised Code, make the wards equal in population,” said Booth.
A formula is used during this process that is set down by the Ohio Revised Code to establish the certain population percentage for the wards.
“Then the committee will set the new boundaries according to the new population, and this may not change at all or it might not change very much, but many times it will shift from one end of the city to another end,” said Booth. “And this doesn’t necessarily mean the population has changed much but the population within the city has shifted because of a new housing development somewhere else.”
kenesha.beheler@mountvernonnews.com
