Census Numbers Questioned in Lilydale

Something’s not quite right with Lilydale’s Census numbers, according to City Administrator Teish Stafne.

Last election, in November of 2010, there were 605 voters registered in Lilydale when City Hall opened its doors and 663 registered voters by the end of the day.  

The ensus data released in March however, puts the city’s official population at 623 residents.

Considering that registered voters would not include children or new residents that had not registered yet, “it just seems impossible that it would be that low,” Stafne said to the council at their April meeting.

The city has been working off a 2009 Metropolitan Council estimate of 783.

A representative from the Census Count Question Resolution Program referred Patch to their website in lieu of comment.

Appeals of the Census figures will be accepted by the program starting in June. The program will review the data available, but will not execute another count.

Stafne has been doing research based on the data available, such as housing units. A count within the condominium and apartment buildings would require the participation of the management companies and would be complicated by the number of snowbirds who don’t homestead in Lilydale.

 “Its important to have a good count because they redistrict areas based on the census count,” said Mayor Anita Pamusch.

The official population of the city was also once used for the purposes of calculating local government aid, which the city no longer receives.