MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (OSBORNE) -- The City of Murfreesboro is hoping to pull down more state and federal tax dollars by conducting a special census through the end of the year.
Census cards will be arriving in the mail boxes of city residents this week.
City planner Dianna Tomlin says the 2010 federal census put the city’s population at just under 110,000. But she notes that with Murfreesboro being one of the fastest growing cities in the state, officials suspect its now more like 130,000.
Tomlin says if the city can prove that higher number it means a hefty jump in available revenue.
“The state pays about $128 per person in state shared tax revenue. Things like the gas tax, we get a portion on a per-capita basis. So it could mean close an additional $3 million a year just by gaining those additional people.”
Tomlin says residents are not being asked to fill out a lengthy census form, but just a simple postcard. The return postage paid card only asks for the full name of each person currently living in the household.
“We don’t need anything else. This is not a federal census. We’re not trying to get any kind of demographic statistics, just an actual count of the number of people living here. So, first and last name. That’s it.”
Murfreesboro officials are serious about getting an accurate count. They plan on sending a second, follow up census card to homes that fail to respond.
If that second card doesn’t get a response, city census takers will begin knocking on doors toward the first of the year.