Yorkville Mayor Gary Golinski has announced the city has been authorized to hold a partial special census despite earlier concerns about a federal hiring freeze.
The city had already paid $108,000 to the U.S. Census Bureau to cover the expense of salaries for part-time census takers required to go door-to-door to get the latest population count.
However, the city’s effort was stymied when President Trump Jan. 23 issued an executive order that stopped the hiring of federal civilian employees. The order did not include or apply to military personnel.
Yorkville administrative intern Nicole Kathman said the city was subsequently notified that the U.S. Census Bureau was granted an exemption to the federal hiring freeze and could appoint seasonal and short-term employees.
“That was our hold-up,” Kathman said.
Kathman said the city immediately issued a call to those interested in working as enumerators, crew leaders and clerical staff. The census is scheduled to begin in mid-May.
She said about 10 people have expressed interest in the part-time work.
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“We are still looking for people,” Kathman said.
Census workers can expect to work 25 to 40 hours per week for approximately three to five weeks, she said. Crew leaders are paid $16.18 an hour, while enumerators and clerical staff are paid hourly wages of $15.18 and $12.18 respectively. Workers are also reimbursed for mileage and training.
She said the majority of the positions are enumerators which visit households in targeted areas of the city and collect data from residents.
She said enumerators will be assigned to neighborhoods that have experienced housing growth.
“We are focusing on subdivisions where the city has issued housing permits, including Grande Reserve and Blackberry Woods which are centrally located, Windett Ridge in the southeast quadrant of the city and Bristol Bay in the northern section of the city,” she said.
She said the city expects to receive data results in a few months.
People interested in the positions are required to take a written examination April 19 at Yorkville City Hall, 800 Game Farm Road. They are not required to live in Yorkville.
Those interested must register for a testing time in advance and complete an application at City Hall. The testing registration form, job requirements and the application is available at http://www.yorkville.il.us/jobs.aspx. Paper copies can be picked up at City Hall as well.
The mayor said Yorkville will not receive its fair share of tax disbursements from income and motor fuel taxes until an accurate population count is registered with the federal government.
The revised population count could mean the equivalent of about $15,000 in extra tax revenue per month going into the city’s coffers.
Golinski said the last regular census was done in 2010, which showed the city with 16,921 residents. He said since then the city has grown by more than 1,000 people. A regular census is done once every 10 years.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News