Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

City Begins Counting Population

Believe it or not, it's time for the census to begin.

In 1990, according to Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith, the U.S. Census Bureau miscounted the city's population, but the former mayor, Daryl Potratz fought and got a recount, which improved the final outcome.

An accurate census count, Smith said, because the city receives about $62 per person. This money is used for the city's general fund account, as well as for the street department.

Gurdon Administrative Assistant Wendy Maxwell and Gurdon Street Superintendent Jim Caldwell have been canvassing the streets, checking to see where the Census Bureau missed 10 years ago.

The idea is to make sure a similar miscount doesn't occur again in the year 2000.

Along with working on the census, the city has been looking into the possibility of annexing property into the city limits.

Smith said several residents near the Rose Hedge Cemetery and Taylor-Dairy Road areas have requested being annexed into the city.

This annexation can be done if the majority of residents in the affected area petition the Clark County Quorum Court and get approval through the county's governing body. Once the court gives its permission, the request will filter to the Gurdon City Council for final confirmation.

City services are already in place in these areas, Smith said, and won't have to be added. Such an annexation, if successful, will place the Gurdon Primary School inside the city limits. As it stands, the GPS is basically a tiny island surrounded by the city.

Smith said the city is looking at annexing three or four areas inside the Gurdon limits, but the region along Highway 67 South to the Gurdon High School is not included in the current annexation plans.

The city is looking at bringing the cemetery, Taylor-Dairy Road and an area along Highway 53 toward Whelen Springs into the city limits.

Only areas where residents have asked to be annexed are being worked with at this time.

Getting these areas annexed into the Gurdon City Limits takes time, and this is one thing the city doesn't have much of in this case. Smith said the Census Bureau has said any annexations into the city limits, if they are to be counted on the 2000 census, must be done by Jan. 1, 2000. Otherwise, these new areas can't be counted until 2010.

"We need to begin soon so we can have it (the annexation) all done by Jan. 1, 2000," Smith said.

He added if those people who live on Highway 67 South want to be annexed into the city limits, they can petition the quorum court and city council as well.

The breakdown of turn back funds the city receives from the population is $42 per person for the street department, with $20 per head for the city's general fund.

The general fund, Smith said, is what the Gurdon Police Department operates out of.