Census count vital for city

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019 Jan McDonald Alabama, Andrew Wisdom, census, city council, Demopolis, lieutenants, Mellinie House, Robert Brown

The 2020 U.S. Census is fast approaching, Mellinie House told the Demopolis City Council at its meeting Tuesday.

House is the Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau. She said the upcoming head count of residents is vital for Alabama to make sure the state maintains its representation in Washington, D.C., and that it gets the funding for which it is entitled.

“Money doesn’t follow the need,” she said. “It follows the numbers.”

In the 2000 census, only 63 percent of Demopolis residents responded; in 2010 the number rose to 71 percent. That leaves 29 percent who are receiving services from the city, but the city isn’t being reimbursed for them, she continued.

Census forms will be sent in March 2020 and are due back in April, said House. They can be answered online, by phone, through the mail or person-to-person. House, who is from Mobile, introduced two Demopolis residents who will be coordinating efforts in the area: Andrea Mason and Tiffany Smith.

Encouraging the city to use every means possible to get residents to respond to the census, House said she hopes a job fair can be arranged by the end of the month to hire census workers for part time positions at $14-$18 per hour.

Halloween trick-or-treating will be from 5-9 p.m. Oct. 31, and the Demopolis City Council voted Thursday to close certain streets in order to keep children safe. Main Avenue will be closed from Pearl Street to Pettus Street; Walnut Street from Capitol to Pettus; Washington from Main to Cedar Avenue; Commissioners Avenue from Capitol to Fulton, and Fulton between Commissioners and Main.

Recognized as two new lieutenants with the Demopolis Fire Department are Robert Brown, second from left, and Andrew Wisdom, center. With them are Mayor John Laney, left; DFD Chief Keith Murray, right, and Alicia Brown.

The city recognized two new lieutenants to the Demopolis Fire Department: Andrew Wisdom and Robert Brown. The two went through a “rigid and complex process” to be selected as lieutenants, said DFD Chief Keith Murray.

Along with the recognition of the new lieutenants, Mayor John Laney read a proclamation for Fire Prevention Week Oct. 6-12.

Prompted by a request from a citizen on Cedarcrest Avenue, the council approved installing a speed bump to slow traffic.

The next council meeting will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 17.