North Liberty, Iowa City considering 'special census'

IOWA CITY – The once-a-decade census is about more than counting people. Counting money also is involved.

Billions of federal dollars are distributed based on population, and for that reason, a couple of growing Johnson County towns are considering asking for an update to the 2010 census.

North Liberty likely will request what is known as a special census, City Administrator Ryan Heiar said. Iowa City also is exploring the idea, said Adam Bentley, administrative assistant in the City Manager's Office.

If the towns' populations have increased enough the past three years, they possibly could get millions of dollar more from the state's road use tax fund through the end of this decade.

That is much needed money.

“One of the main concerns with our growth is our ability to fund infrastructure projects, specifically street projects,” Heiar said.

Population counts in the decennial census are used to disburse more than $400 billion annually in federal funds, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Although the bureau provides population estimates annually, a special census would provide an official update and allow for a recalculation of the funding equation.

For Iowa towns, road use taxes are the primary census-determined money at stake.

The state fuel tax, which feeds into the road use tax fund, has not changed since 1989 and some local and state officials have complained a lack of investment is causing Iowa's roads and bridges to deteriorate.  An increase has been debated in the Statehouse in recent years.

Bentley said the fuel tax is not the reason Iowa City is considering a special census but the issues are linked.

“It's not as if those (construction) costs have been stagnant since that time period,” he said.

Cities receive about $96 per resident in road use tax revenue this fiscal year, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

The 2010 census pegged North Liberty's population at 13,374, but the city believes it now has about 15,500 residents, Heiar said. If accurate, that would be more than $200,000 a year in additional road money.

A special census does not come cheaply. North Liberty requested an estimate and was told it would be about $160,000. But the city would make that up in less than one year if it's population is in fact 2,000 people higher than in 2010.

Heiar said staff is still collecting information, but he believes the City Council would give its OK if the financial part makes sense.

Iowa City is still trying to determine if it'd see a return on its investment for the cost. The city has not asked for a cost estimate, but with a population of 67,862, it would be more than what North Liberty would pay.

“We're still kind of running the numbers and debating,” said Bentley, one of the city's point people on the issue. “Ultimately, we have to get more from it (than the cost). And if there's not a return on it, we will wait for the next census.”

The Census Bureau estimated Iowa City's population at 70,133 in 2012.

Iowa City has been burned by a special census before. One conducted in 1996 found its population increased by less than 1 percent since 1990, well below what city officials expected. The city did not make up the $210,000 cost of the special count.

Coralville and North Liberty each had a special census about three years after the 2000 census. Coralville saw its population increase 14 percent. North Liberty was up 34 percent.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is interested in exploring whether a regional approach could be taken to a special census. Local governments must pay for census workers and provide office space for them.

There may be a possibility to share the office space and save money. The cities and county will discuss the idea at a joint meeting July 29.

Coralville is waiting to see if it grows more before considering a special census, but city officials would listen to a pitch for a regional effort, said Assistant City Administrator Ellen Habel. Its

2012 population estimate was 19,692, compared with 18,907 two years before.