Wayne County Can Be Prosperous with 1.8 Million Residents
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Dear Friend,
So here's the deal. Our county lost nearly 12-percent of our population based on the U.S. Census Bureau figures released this week. We expected a decline, though we didn't estimate it would be that large, even in our state's biggest city, Detroit.
Unless you're under a rock this week, you know that our county shrunk to 1.8 Million residents in the past decade.
Here's what I look at with the Census figures. First, county-wide we will lose significant federal dollars. Funds for roads, parks, public safety, schools, judicial programs and health services from the federal government are based on Census data. These dollars come through the state and county, therefore impacting our ability to deliver services expected by county residents.
We need to institute collaborative efforts among our cities and townships to share services and seek partners in state government to ensure our vital programs remain.
Second, I looked at what happened in my commission district where I serve the communities of Belleville, Canton Township, Sumpter Township, Van Buren Township and Wayne. Overall, residency in my district grew 12.9 percent.
- Belleville fell 0.2 percent to 3,991 residents
- Canton grew 18 percent to 90,173 residents
- Sumpter fell 19.5 to 9,549 residents
- Van Buren grew 22.3 percent to 28,821 residents
- Wayne declined 7.7 percent to 17,593 residents
I am proud of my district. We are making the moves to attract residents and businesses to our communities. We continue to take advantage of the I-275/I-94/I-96 corridor, access to Metro Airport, and the proximity between Detroit and Ann Arbor. There is always more we can do and we will do.
Third and final, as I review the data I must take into account the proposed budget from Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. Frankly, I am not happy about many of the proposed changes, including taxing public pensions. I agree that we must take innovative steps to address our budget shortfalls, unemployment and current population while maintaining vital services. But I remain concerned about the pending state budget.
I will continue to fight for my district and fight for resources for all of Wayne County, especially infrastructure, youth services and seniors. We won't feel the impact of the Census until next year. As we make the right moves to reconfigure our resources, we won't feel the impact at all.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. McNamara
Wayne County Commissioner - District 11
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Please forward this to family and friends who live and/or work in Belleville, Canton Township, Sumpter Township, Van Buren Township and Wayne. |
