The City Council voted Tuesday night to approve spending $207,000 this year and next to conduct a special census that could pay for itself tenfold.
Between 1998 and 2001, when the next full census will be complete, the city expects to receive an extra $2 million in general revenues and another $630,000 in road construction funds as a result of the special census. The estimated gains were figured after deducting the cost of the census.
The census will be conducted in DuPage, Kendall and Will Counties, as well as western portions of Kane County, or the areas where the vast majority of growth has taken place in recent years. City officials expect the census will add about 8,900 to the city’s current official population of 113,602.
Mayor David Stover, who proposed the special census, said it will help the city obtain badly needed revenue.
It is expected to be complete next June, so a full year of extra revenue won’t come until 1999.
The state in 1998 will distribute revenue to municipalities at the rate of $95.80 per resident. Of that, $23.60 are motor fuel tax revenues for road work only. The remainder will go to the city’s general fund.
Per-capita distribution will increase slightly each year until 2001, when it would reach $101.76.
