Looking to boost revenue from Springfield, DeKalb will conduct a special census in April.

“We’re doing it so we can get our fair share of state revenue through state sales and the gas and motor fuel tax,” said Doug Eaton, information and technology technician for DeKalb.

DeKalb expects the special census to show about 2,600 new residents and, at an additional $100 per person, hopes to collect an additional $260,000 per year from the state of Illinois.

Eaton said most of the city’s growth is on the north and west sides. Census takers will concentrate on these new residential areas.

“There are about 16 neighborhoods with 13 to the north and west,” Eaton said.

The last time DeKalb performed a special census in 2004, 3,500 additional residents were counted.

The cost of performing the census is expected to be made up the first year. The city will pay about $138,000 for the special census. Eaton expects the city to perform at least one more special census as DeKalb continues to grow.

“If DeKalb continues to grow at the rate they are, we could conceivably see and probably will see at least one if not two more special censuses between 2013 and 2017,” Eaton said.

DeKalb is not alone in deciding to take a head count of its population this year. Almost 30 other cities are prepared to hire citizens to go door to door in high growth areas. One reason for this is Illinois’ policy of prorating payments when communities perform a census and show population growth, Eaton said.

The city is creating an employment pool of 108 potential census takers. The U.S. Census Bureau will select people to work two or three weeks in April gathering information.

Anyone interested in applying to be an enumerator should contact Community Development at 815-748-2061.