Census 2020 correction reflects a larger Brookhaven
Small gains in population potentially yield millions in funding
Brookhaven, GA, June 15, 2023 – The COVID-19 pandemic was still in its infancy when the U.S. Census Bureau was charged to conduct its decennial population count in 2020. This made for a rough going for census-takers, amid widespread quarantines, closures, and social distancing.
The census kicked off just over 3 months after the LaVista Park community successfully petitioned to be annexed into the City of Brookhaven, the largest such annexation in Georgia history. Due to an administrative error, LaVista Park was included in the unincorporated DeKalb County map. Brookhaven staff immediately sought to correct the error when the count was released in 2021, and in October of last year the Bureau officially accepted the City’s petition for a corrected count. Due to an overwhelming number of petitions in the pipeline however, progress stalled.
Enter U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff. In a letter to U.S. Census Director Robert L. Santos, Ossoff stressed that “A corrected U.S. Census count is necessary…[to] ensure this tax revenue is available to the citizens of Brookhaven to fund critical local priorities, such as transportation and public safety projects.”
In response to Senator Ossoff’s inquiry, Santos sent a confirmation to Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, acknowledging the correction, and stating, “The Census Bureau will use the revisions to modify the census file for use in annual postcensal estimates…” The 1,182 citizens of LaVista Park are finally recognized as Brookhaven citizens.
Patty Hansen, Brookhaven’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, explains that an accurate population count has an exponential impact on the distribution of both local and federal funding.
“Multiple federal formula streams, State appropriations, and even the County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, are based on population formulas. An additional 1,200 people credited to Brookhaven can equate to over $10 million in various funding streams over a 10-year period,” said Hansen.
“We are extremely grateful for the intervention of Senator Ossoff, and Director Santos’ swift action in bringing to conclusion an appeal we have been working with the census since the day the count was released. This final action ensures that all of Brookhaven’s residents were indeed counted as our own,” said Mayor John Ernst.
“The entirety of this undercount is in a chronically neglected area in my district,” said District 4 Councilman John Funny. “Since the citizen-driven annexation, Brookhaven has delivered on a promise of public investment. It is gratifying that our Senator is fighting hard on the federal level to ensure we are able to amplify that investment for our citizens.”
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About LaVista Park: On Dec. 10, 2019, 672 parcels totaling 264 acres were annexed into the City of Brookhaven using the resident-driven 60 percent method. This annexation is believed to be the largest annexation in Georgia history using the 60% method. The area is located at the City’s southern gateway, generally in an area south of North Druid Hills and west of Briarcliff Drive.
