While touching on annexation desires, Brookhaven officials saygrowth outside the city limits contributed to a declining citypopulation from 1990 to 2000.

Census 2000 information, which is in the process of beingreleased, listed the city’s population as 9,861, a drop of 382 from10,243 in 1990. Mayor Bill Godbold indicated the drop was nottotally unexpected.

“We all knew it because of the expansion outside our short citylimits,” Godbold said, pointing out the city limits are less thanthree-quarters of a mile from his office.

Other city officials contacted said they had not seen the newtotals. They questioned the decline but also pointed tooutside-the-city growth.

“It seems like the city is growing, but we’ve got a lot ofexpansion just outside the city,” said Ward 4 Alderman JohnRoberts.

Ward 2 Alderman Terry Bates, like Roberts a 12-year boardmember, said the decline was bad news.

“I felt like the city was growing, but it’s not too good if it’sdeclining,” Bates said, speculating that some citizens may not haveresponded to census forms last year and therefore were notcounted.

Roberts recalled efforts following the 1990 census to get thecity’s population over 10,000.

“We just wanted to stay above 10,000,” Roberts said.

Roberts said the 10,000 population level is helpful when cityofficials try to procure special project funding from Washington.It’s also important in trying to attract new industry andbusiness.

“Your population is there to support them coming to town,”Roberts said.

Evidence of outside-the-city limits and other growth is seen inoverall census totals for Lincoln County that show an increase inpopulation from 30,278 in 1990 to 33,166 in 2000.

An analysis of the city census totals suggests at least somelevel of so-called “white flight.”

“They’re moving out, for some reason,” Bates said, mentioninggrowth of subdivisions just outside city borders.

The city’s 1990 white population was 5,607, or 54 percent. Itswhite population in 2000 fell to 4,689, or 47.6 percent.

In contrast, the city’s black population has grown to became themajority over the last 10 years. The 1990 black population was4,599, or 45 percent, while the 2000 black population was 5,020, or51 percent.

In voting age population, people over age 18, the whitepopulation was still the majority with 3,804, or 52 percent. Theblack voting age population was 3,365, or 46 percent.

Bates said he had noticed a white population decline in hisward. He speculated it was down around 15 percent from when he wasfirst elected.

Regardless of race, Bates was disappointed to see the populationdecline.

“I hate to see any of that,” he said.

Bates echoed Godbold’s concerns about a lack of annexation overthe years.

“We haven’t done any of that, and people are moving out for moreroom,” he said, adding that he hoped to attract more people to havea stronger city.

Many years ago, Godbold said there were grant and otherfinancial reasons for having smaller populations, and there waslittle interest in growing city populations.

An annexation plan is on the drawing board, and Godbold hoped itcould be done as quickly as possible. He pointed out that much ofthe growth is within half of mile of the city limits.

“I think it would be to our advantage to get as many people aswe can,” the mayor said.

The annexation plan would probably get the city’s populationback over 10,000, Godbold said.

Part of that area is already receiving city services.

“We’re already making calls outside the city as far as fire,police …,” Godbold said, while also mentioning water and sewerservices that are provided in a number of areas.

He said water and sewer efforts currently under way would helpwith annexation needs.

Godbold said Brookhaven was not alone in its desire to try tobring more people into the city.

“That’s what’s happening in Jackson and any area that’s got anykind of growth,” the mayor said.

Bates said the need for expansion was a matter of room.

“There’s very few lots to build on, but people want to live inthe city,” Bates said.

Bates said citizens of all races are working to move the cityahead. However, without growth, he said there will be more peoplemoving out.

“We’re getting along fine, all races, but we’ve got to have moreroom,” Bates said.