Harrisburg, SD (KELO-AM) The City of Harrisburg will conduct a census in April - counting heads could lead to bigger things for the growing town near Sioux Falls.
Mayor Julie Burke-Bowen says the census could lead to Harrisburg being designated as the 17th class-1 municipality in the State of South Dakota. She says - for example - that could lead to the city getting more state and federal money for roads. "It may not amount to a ton of money, but every penny helps," says the Mayor.
The head count will be conducted just like the census conducted every ten years by the U.S. Census Bureau. Mayor Burke-Bowen says the advantage is that Harrisburg will have its vital statistics updated more quickly.
Harrisburg has a population of nearly 5,000 people, and keeps growing. The census will determine if the population is over 5,000, which would lead to the class-1 designation.
Mayor Burke-Bowen was interviewed on the Greg Belfrage Show, as part of the new "Mayors of the Sioux Empire" feature. Hear more from the Mayor on Greg's podcast:
http://kelo.com/podcasts/greg-belfrage-show/935/mayors-of-the-sioux-empire-mayor-julie-burke-bowen-of-harrisburg/