Hello!
Today I came across this article:
https://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/the-15-fastest-shrinking-cities-in-the-u-s-202450108.html
I was interested to see that Provo was ranked at number 2 on the list. I also find it interesting that the Census consistently overestimates Provo's population.
What does this mean?
Well, cities typically leverage their current budget projections based on traditional growth patterns. If you've seen an additional 1,000 people each year for the past 20 years (give or take), it's reasonable to assume that trend will continue. The governing body then makes long-term commitments based on what the anticipated budget revenues will be, and often makes wrong decisions that lead to insolvency. This is a difficult position to find one's self in, and it's worse for a community that's supposed to supply police and fire protection, clean water and good roads, etc.
So if your population is in decline, it's not a sign of good community health, long-term.
These trends are cyclical, however, and careful stewardship of public funds and budgets generally lead to positive outcomes in the long-term. It will be interesting to see how these communities are affected going forward, and how resilient they are (financially) to such trends. It's also going to be interesting to see how a community retains it's culture and identity in the face of these kinds of challenges...
Today I came across this article:
https://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/the-15-fastest-shrinking-cities-in-the-u-s-202450108.html
I was interested to see that Provo was ranked at number 2 on the list. I also find it interesting that the Census consistently overestimates Provo's population.
What does this mean?
Well, cities typically leverage their current budget projections based on traditional growth patterns. If you've seen an additional 1,000 people each year for the past 20 years (give or take), it's reasonable to assume that trend will continue. The governing body then makes long-term commitments based on what the anticipated budget revenues will be, and often makes wrong decisions that lead to insolvency. This is a difficult position to find one's self in, and it's worse for a community that's supposed to supply police and fire protection, clean water and good roads, etc.
So if your population is in decline, it's not a sign of good community health, long-term.
These trends are cyclical, however, and careful stewardship of public funds and budgets generally lead to positive outcomes in the long-term. It will be interesting to see how these communities are affected going forward, and how resilient they are (financially) to such trends. It's also going to be interesting to see how a community retains it's culture and identity in the face of these kinds of challenges...
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