By Staff
City should consider annexation
If you believe the Census estimates, Brewton and other communities in Escambia County are shrinking slowly in terms of population.
But it's important to remember, as population experts point out, that those numbers are only estimates, based on trends from previous years. A true census will be taken again for 2010.
For now, the numbers don't mean much. They likely won't affect any grant money the cities or the county receive, and they aren't considered official numbers.
But, assuming the trend is true, they offer our communities an opportunity to consider the future.
If the population is in decline, that could have an impact on our sales tax dollars and property tax revenue in the future. It could be a deterrent to attracting new industry.
But the numbers also don't take into account the folks who live outside the city limits - in Brewton, that would mean several housing developments that are being built north of town.
Brewton officials should consider the impact of annexation of some of those areas.
We don't yet know the negatives and positives of such a move, but it's certainly worth consideration as we look to grow our community.