ST. CLAIRSVILLE — City leaders and volunteers are hoping for strong participation in the coming U.S. Census.

To help get the word out and to answer residents’ questions, a public meeting is set for 5:30-6:30 p.m. March 11 in Marian Hall at St. Mary Catholic Church, 218 W. Main St. in St. Clairsville.

The Census became a priority for city leaders after recent reports suggested the community’s population is hovering close to the 5,000 mark needed to maintain city status in Ohio. In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 5,012 — fewer than 20 people away from the municipality being designated as a village.

This news has energized residents, with some calling for more outreach such as the March 11 meeting.

Speakers will include Amber Kohler, a partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, and Lori Cook, a local recruiter assistant with the bureau. City representatives such as Planning and Zoning Director Tom Murphy will talk about the Census and its importance.

“The whole purpose is, we’re just trying to promote the need and our want that people, when it’s their time to complete the Census forms that they actually do that. The Ohio Valley here, especially St. Clairsville and the other communities, we want to keep the younger high school age people in the community, working in the community. And many businesses look at the results of the Census as far as your population numbers and age to determine if they’re going to locate a business in your area. So if people are not filling it out, then they’re actually hurting the community, and we don’t want to see that happen. There’s a definite benefit to completing the forms,” Murphy said.

He acknowledged that some residents may be reluctant to participate.

“I think some people are concerned just because it is the government asking questions, but any of the questions they have on the Census form are going to be general information,” Murphy said, adding that questions include the number of people in a household and the ages of the people in the household.

“Much of this is information that if someone were to type online now, it would be there, so they’re not asking for anything that would create a privacy issue with you,” Murphy said.

He also stressed the community benefits of a successful Census and St. Clairsville remaining a city.

“We’re just trying to promote the positives of it. It means jobs for our area, and we should see that as an importance for the whole Ohio Valley. It’s good for the number of people in your community and your county,” he said. “It determines how much money your libraries are going to get. It also looks at the schools. We want to make sure our schools are fully funded. That’s for our youth and the education of our area.”

He said feedback from the public has been encouraging.

“I’ve been speaking before different local groups to just promote the idea of the Census and why it’s important. When people come in here to apply for a permit, I’ve been speaking with them individually,” he said. “The people I’ve been talking to so far have been positive.”

Murphy said council members and other city officials are also promoting the Census and its importance.

City leaders are asking the public to bring their concerns to the March 11 meeting.

“We want that to be an opportunity to talk about the Census, but mainly for the public to ask any questions they might have,” Murphy said, noting that a sample form is available on the city’s website, stclairsville.com.

“It gives you an idea so when you fill it out for the Census count, you’ll know what the questions are. They’re very simple. You can review it ahead of time and when it’s time to fill it out, you’ll know what to answer,” he said.

Murphy said he is confident St. Clairsville will come through with more than 5,000 residents, rather than slip into village status.

“I don’t foresee that’s going to happen,” he said. “Ten years ago in the 2010 Census people thought we were going to move below a city status, and we actually gained residents.”

However, such a change would have an impact on St. Clairsville’s ability to seek funding.

“There’s different pools of funding we would have to look into. You prepare for the worst and then you look for the best to happen,” he said.

Mayor Kathryn Thalman encouraged participation in the Census and the March 11 meeting.

“I just hope people take this seriously, because it could mean the difference between us being a city and a village. We want everyone to know that everybody counts, and we want to make them count. We want them be counted, so please come to the meeting at St. Mary’s Hall for information,” she said.

She noted the city is wrestling with infrastructure issues, particularly to meet mandates for water service made by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Village status could make a difference in the amount of funding available to meet those mandates.

“We know that grants are often tied to being a city,” she said. “Yes, that could make a difference.”