Census forms’ labels wrong in Springdale

— The U.S. Census count in the state’s fourth-largest city shouldn’t be harmed by the fact that some of the questionnaires have the wrong city on the mailing label, officials said. The 10-question surveys started arriving in the mail last week, and some Springdale residents were surprised to see their name, address and ZIP code properly listed on the form, but the city mistakenly labeled as Fayetteville.

“I filled it out and sent it back in,” said Barbara Yarbrough, who lives in northeast Springdale. “I marked out Fayetteville and put in Springdale and sent it in. And then I got another [questionnaire]. I marked out Fayetteville and put in Springdale and sent it in.”

She said she included a note in the second questionnaire saying she already had filled out one survey. The incident has left Yarbrough less than confident in the process.

“I don’t see how they can do a head count when they don’t even know what city we live in,” she said.

The U.S. Postal Service sorts mail according to ZIP codes, not cities, which is why the questionnaires still made it to the right place, said spokesman Lisa Tolliver.

Residents are urged to go ahead and fill out the forms and send them back in, said Carl Henson, a census office manager.

Each questionnaire has its own bar code, and that code, created by the Census Bureau, will identify thesurvey as a Springdale survey, Henson said. The bureau used the addresses for mailing purposes only. The bar codes, created with information gathered last year through GPS technology, will be used to enter specific population data, Henson said.

He said he does not know how many questionnaires were listed under “Fayetteville” addresses, and said he doesn’t know how Fayetteville made it onto the Springdale forms.

“It would be very unprofessional for me to speculate on that,” he said.

Those with concerns about their form should call (866) 872-6868, the number listed on the questionnaire. Residents also can go to one of the dozens of assistance centers across the bureau’s 13-county northwest region. Each county judge in the region has a list of the locations. Those who do not return the survey likely will receive a visit from an enumeratorsometime in April.

The final count will determine how more than $400 billion in federal funding will be distributed annually.

Springdale, along with all of Northwest Arkansas, is expected to show population growth. According to estimates, the metro area should easily surpass 400,000 people, and Springdale will be a big part of that number.

A special census in 2005 put the population of Springdale at 62,459, while a 2008 estimate had the number at 68,180.

With growth in mind, Mayor Doug Sprouse said he plans on paying extra attention to the Springdale count.

“If there’s a reason to believe other cities are getting credit for our people, I’ll protest that and get it sorted out,” he said.

Sprouse, who lives in north Springdale, said his survey arrived with Springdale listed as the city. So did the one sent to his mother-in-law, who lives in central Springdale. But the addresses of the people who have called the mayor’s office to complain about the forms that show “Fayetteville” addresses have appeared all across town.

“My concern is that this gives someone who doesn’t want to participate in the census one more reason not to do so,” Sprouse said. “It has the potential to make things complicated, and the last thing we need are complications.”

Arkansas, Pages 7 on 03/23/2010

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