Editorial: Challenging the census would be good for Pittsburgh

‘ ‘ ‘ It’s no surprise that Pittsburgh’s population is decreasing. City officials have pondered… ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s no surprise that Pittsburgh’s population is decreasing. City officials have pondered how to keep young people in the city for years, how to build the job market in the area and how to attract people to the Downtown region that is historically low on tourists and permanent residents. ‘ ‘ ‘ When the news hit last week that Toledo, Ohio, had surpassed Pittsburgh in population according to a recent census, it shouldn’t have come as a huge shock. Instead, it has galvanized the city leaders to find out exactly how many people live in Pittsburgh and why the city’s population keeps slipping. ‘ ‘ ‘ Toledo overtook Pittsburgh after challenging the results of a U.S. Census Bureau estimate, which originally put Toledo’s population at 295,029 last July. After the challenge, a recent census put the total at 316,851, an increase of about 6 percent. Pittsburgh’s population is estimated to be 311,218. ‘ ‘ ‘ In most respects, a recount seems like a good idea. Having an accurate census allows Pittsburgh to receive all the federal funding it deserves, some of which is based on population figures. ‘ ‘ ‘ Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said that there is at least anecdotal evidence that Pittsburgh’s population bleed might be slowing or stopping. He cited figures such as increased enrollment in magnet schools, which might be related to the Pittsburgh Promise program, an aid program run by the Pittsburgh Foundation to help graduates from city schools with college tuition. ‘ ‘ ‘ The city must also consider the role of college students, who comprise a large segment of Pittsburgh’s population. Although college students might not be permanent residents, they still count on census information in terms of occupancy, as well as mail and voter registration. City Controller Michael Lamb said counting college students ‘could have a big impact’ on the population of the city. ‘ ‘ ‘ However, Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato are also using this as an opportunity to push for the city-county merger project, after a fact-finding study between themselves and Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg was completed in April of last year. The merger is under legislation in Harrisburg. ‘ ‘ ‘ Ravenstahl said in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the city’s population would jump much further from a merger with Allegheny County than it would from a census reevaluation. Most census challenges yield about a 2 percent population increase, whereas a merger with Allegheny County could result in a jump of more than 300 percent. This would certainly affect the amount of aid and federal funding the city receives. ‘ ‘ ‘ However, boosting the population of the city shouldn’t be the main reason to undertake such a drastic move. There are other benefits to a city-county merger, but it shouldn’t simply be for the reason of getting back at Toledo or inflating population figures. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pittsburgh’s officials should definitely challenge the U.S. Census Bureau on its estimates, but they should carefully consider any larger moves, like consolidation, before acting for the wrong reasons. Having more people in the city could be helpful, but it might not be enough to outweigh the costs of more extreme measures.