CENSUS COUNT IS FINAL; IT'S TIME TO MOVE AHEAD

The final U.S. Census figures are in: Cape Girardeau grew by 77 people during the decade of the 1980s.

These final numbers prompt mixed feelings. On the plus side, the recount puts city growth in positive numbers. The final number is up 271 from last year's preliminary count. On the other hand, growth of only 77 is certainly nothing to cheer about.

Perhaps the biggest frustration rests with housing unit discrepancies. City and census counts differ by about 500 housing units. That difference was never explained.

Cape was not alone in its slow growth. Many area cities experienced flat or declining numbers. The exception was Jackson, which grew by 1,429 during the 1980s.

Jackson's growth helped to spur final county figures. The census bureau placed Cape County's population at 61,633 - up nearly 2,800 since 1980. Only about half of Missouri's counties showed an increase over the 1980 census.

At this point, there is little the Cape Girardeau officials can do to change the figures. The city can file a lawsuit, but it doesn't seem worth the thousands of dollars a legal fight would ultimately cost.

To ensure a substantial growth in the next census, Cape Girardeau officials may want to go the way of many other cities - annexation. For example, the city of Jonesboro, Ark., added 10,000 to 11,000 people last year when the city annexed about 45 square miles of land.

Much of the growth areas of the county are located just to the north and west of Cape Girardeau. Recent sewer project expansions and fire service improvements leave the city poised to better serve the north and west areas of the cities, and the neighboring areas. These improvements better prepare the city for possible expansion.

Of course, annexation carries its costs. In Missouri, sewer, water and electricity must be provided in an annexed area within three years. As a result, any annexation should be well planned to ensure the costs don't outweigh the benefits.

In Jonesboro, the city had to provide water and electricity - but not sewers or paved roads. That may make such a large expansion more cost effective for Jonesboro.

Cape Girardeau wasn't the only city unhappy with the census figures. Countless cities across the nation argued that the numbers were too low.

But now that the count is completed, we must move on. There's no use bemoaning what might have been. Cape Girardeau's future growth will hinge on careful planning and aggressive business and residential growth: You can count on it.