Township Will Seek to Prove U.S. Census Undercounted Bernards Population in 2010

The Township will challenge the 2010 U.S. Census count of  26,652 as Bernards Township's population, after the township's demographer last month presented calculations that the number of residents was  

The Township Committee approved the challenge to the official U.S. Census count during a meeting on Tuesday night.

William Draper, who has been serving as the township's volunteer demographer, in late March told the Township Committee that it appears that the U.S. Census Bureau may not have included Bernards residences with Far Hills addresses in its official census count.

Draper said the census population figure would match up more closely with his own continuing tally of local population as just over 28,200 by adding in hundreds of households that are in Bernards Township, but have a Far Hills mailing address with a 07931 zip code.

However, the process of challenging the census figures will not be quick.

Township Administrator Bruce McArthur said on Tuesday night said the township won't even be permitted to file a comment until June with the 2010 Census Count Resolution Program.

Township officials said previously that the approved census figures are used in multiple ways, including the municipality's eligibility for grant programs, political districting and other funding allocations. 

For example, McArthur said on Tuesday that the amount of state funding awarded to the Bernards Township Library is based on the local population, as determined by the U.S. Census count taken at the beginning of each decade.

Township officials also previously said that the municipality would be eligible to sell another liquor license within its borders if the higher population figure is accepted as accurate.

Mayor John Malay said in March that Draper had been asked to look more closely at the numbers since the appeared to be on the low side. He said he questioned whether some residents who recently moved to the U.S. had fully complied with the census.

Draper also said he believed that some households with Asian residents may have been undercounted, but that the primary reason for what he said is a mistakenly low census figure is the omission of residences with the Far Hills addresses.

Draper said at that time that the "lost" households did not appear to be added to the official population of the borough of Far Hills.