Census may reap more funds for Pingree Grove

To secure every dime they may be entitled to, Pingree Grove village officials will conduct a special census this summer.

This census intends to count residents living in Cambridge Lakes' new townhouses and duplexes on routes 47 and 72 who weren't around for the special census that was conducted in 2006, said Marjorie Morton, who is helping head up these efforts.

"Those are the ones we expect the majority of people to come from," she said.

Right now, Pingree Grove receives $329,000 in state funds and hopes the census secures $100,000 more.

Based on residency permits, officials say the town's population is now between 3,200 and 3,300 residents.

Pingree Grove has seen this sort of growth before.

Its last special census, held in 2006, counted a total of 2,649 residents -- 2,525 in Cambridge Lakes and 124 in the town's older section.

That's up from the 124 residents who called the village home in 2000, before Cambridge Lakes began building.

The 2006 census meant $310,000 in additional state dollars, which Illinois doles out based on population.

Officials hope the census begins in August, but can't announce an official date until it secures 100 people as census takers, Morton said.

So far, only 37 people have signed up for the job that pays $14.25 an hour.

The special census will cost the village $76,000 in addition to workers' hourly wages.

The process is estimated to last between three and five weeks, Morton said.

Pingree Grove would not hold another census until the government's in 2010.

Special census jobs

If you'd like to become a temporary census worker in Pingree Grove or need more information, call village hall at (847) 464-5533. Applications are available at village hall.