Pause Extended On Special Census To Recount Aurora’s Population, Regain Federal Funding

AURORA, IL — Aurora is hitting pause on its plan to hold a Special Census to recount its population and regain lost federal funding.

The recount, initially planned to begin on Feb. 3, was first halted due to changes in federal leadership, Patch reported. Now in June, the Census Bureau and Aurora City Council mutually agreed to put the recount on hold while "working to revamp the initiative at a future date," the city said in a news release.

"We have chosen to pause the Special Census and take a closer look at our approach moving forward," Mayor John Laesch said in a statement. "I appreciate the efforts of City Staff, the City Council, and our partners at the Federal level to collaboratively work together to come to this decision."

The Special Census campaign was launched following the 2020 Census, which reported the City of Aurora lost about 17,000 residents, resulting in the city losing more than $4.3 million per year in unrecoverable tax revenue.

City officials said they were contacted by the Census Bureau in mid-May to determine a new date for the campaign and made the decision for the pause after "extensive meetings and discussions."

The Census Bureau will alert the city when new dates become available and will hold the funds paid by the City of Aurora until it resumes, officials said. The city is entitled to a refund of all unused funds if Aurora officials decide to terminate the agreement.

In addition to reentering the queue to pursue a full recount, the City of Aurora intends to file an amended map with the Census Bureau, primarily focusing on newly constructed residential units throughout Aurora, according to the news release.

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