Worland population decline has huge impacts

WORLAND — The nearly 10% drop in population in Washakie County and the 13% drop within the City of Worland has strong financial and legislative implications.

According to the Census Bureau, the 2020 census showed Washakie County declining in population by 848 residents, or 9.9%, dropping from 8,533 to 7,685. The majority of the loss, per the Census Bureau was a drop of 714 residents in Worland (13%), dropping from 5,487 in 2010 to 4,773 in 2020. Ten Sleep showed a decline of 14 residents (5.4%) for a population of 246.

Worland Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Glanz said the mayor and council discussed the census figures at the Sept. 13 work session. It was noted at the work session, according to the minutes of the session, that the city’s sewer data reflects a small change in population, not to the extent that the census shows, however.

She said the consensus was that the city should do whatever it could to appeal the numbers, feeling that not everyone was counted.

The census count was completed during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with a push for residents to self report by filling out census forms received in the mail or going online or via the telephone.

According to the United States Census Bureau, 99.9% of households were enumerated in the census with Wyoming having a 61.1% self-response rate. Washakie County, according to the Census Bureau had a 62.8% self-response rate. Worland was 12th in the state at 65.6% self-response rate, which meant 34.4% of households had to be reached in person by census takers.

Door-to-door contact was delayed due to the pandemic. Glanz said they were aware that the Census Bureau was trying to hire census takers but did not hear of anyone going door-to-door for the census.

Glanz said they are waiting on the full census report to the city which should be coming “in the fall.”

The city can appeal the census numbers through the 2020 Census Count Question Resolution program. This allows governmental “units to request a review of their official 2020 Census results and to help ensure that housing and population counts are correctly allocated.”

In the fall of this year there will be a Federal Register notice announcing the beginning of a 30-day comment period. In December, the Census Bureau “plans to officially notify tribal, state and local government officials eligible to file CQR cases.”

They will begin accepting cases in January. The deadline to submit cases is June 30, 2023.

The Census Bureau has until Sept. 30, 2023 to provide results from each review.

Glanz said there is a huge financial impact to the city with the loss of population, noting any revenue stream based on population will be impacted including sales and use tax.

Also impacted is the Urban Systems Funding. The city receives funding annually as a city of over 5,000 people to go toward street improvement. They currently have $921,587 in the Urban Systems account. Glanz said they will be able to keep that funding, which is anticipated to be used for reconstruction of Washakie Avenue.

“We were aware we would have to get additional funding, this will make it more difficult,” Glanz said. She noted since they are no longer eligible to receive the funding they cannot “borrow” from other cities because they would have no way of paying the funding back.

“I called the [Wyoming] Department of Revenue, since we received the census figures late changes to revenue based on a population formula will not go into effect until July 1, 2022, so we have time to plan ahead,” Glanz said.

LEGISLATURE

REDISTRICTING

The population change will also likely impact the boundary of House District 27 that encompasses Washakie County and Manderson and Hyattville areas in Big Horn County, which in turns impacts the Senate District 20 boundary.

Rep. Mike Greear (R-HD27, Worland) said, “There has been a lot of discussions over the last three weeks. We will work on an initial Big Horn Basin plan [this] week with clerks and send it to the Corporations Committee and get public input.”

According to the Wyoming Legislature’s redistricting principles, election districts should be contiguous, compact and reflect a community of interest; population of election districts should be substantially equal, with the range of deviation not to exceed 10%. Also, consideration should be given to two contiguous House districts in each Senate district.

According to the redistricting information from the Wyoming Legislative Service Office, House District 27 dropped 15% in population and House District 28 dropped 9.66% with Senate District 20 dropping 12.38%.

Surrounding Senate Districts also dropped in population, including Senate District 18 in Park and Fremont counties, Senate District 19 in north Big Horn County and eastern Park County and Senate District 26 in southern Fremont County.