By Jeff Grant | East Valley Tribune
A handful of Valley cities are going to spend millions of dollars this fall counting their populations. They’re betting the investment will reap benefits well beyond the expense.
March 26 marked the deadline for Arizona municipalities to apply for inclusion in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 Mid-Decade Special Census. and for cities opting to take part, there’s a potential pot at the end of the data rainbow in the form of more state shared revenues — monies raised through Arizona’s income tax, transaction privilege tax, or sales tax, and highway user revenue funds, commonly known as the gas tax.
Besides Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek, other Arizona cities that have been accepted include Peoria, Goodyear, Buckeye and Prescott Valley, according to Michael Hall, chief of the Special Census Program.
Mesa did not apply for inclusion.
