Pingree Grove grows by nearly 1,300 people

There's a reason Pingree Grove officials have dollar signs in their eyes.

The preliminary results of a special census show 3,855 souls now call the village home, which means Pingree Grove will get an extra $162,568 a year from the state. "That's awesome," said Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey.

Pingree Grove currently receives $329,000 in state funds.

The results, given to trustees late Monday, show Pingree Grove has grown by 45 percent in two years - when the village ordered a special census in 2006, 2,649 people were counted as living there.

The extra revenue is expected to arrive in February once the U.S. Census Bureau certifies the results, said Village Finance Director Laura Pisarcik.

Officials will use the windfall to cover operations and street repairs, after paying the special census' $109,000 bill.

This census tallied residents living in Cambridge Lakes' new townhouses and duplexes on Routes 47 and 72 who weren't around for the 2006 special census.

Based on residency permits, officials estimated 3,600 people were living there.

Pingree Grove has seen this sort of growth before.

Its 2006 special census counted 2,525 people 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 construction was begun on Cambridge Lakes.

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