Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV
March 27, 2011
Delegate: Census numbers could impact McDowell
KATE COIL
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
WELCH — With official U.S. Census numbers indicating a 19.1 percent decline in McDowell County’s population, one state lawmaker said the county needs to face challenges presented by the new figures head on.
Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell, said county representatives and officials now have a duty to determine what the population decline means for the area as well as how it might effect the county’s representation in the state legislature.
“Obviously, whether you accept or believe these numbers, these are the numbers we have to deal with or abide by,” Moore said. “We have to focus not only on the numbers themselves but on what they mean now and in the long term. What these numbers mean effects our representation in the state legislature.”
According to Moore, southern areas of the state are poised to lose representation, meaning lawmakers from southern West Virginia counties need to act now to ensure the area remains well represented.
“The numbers are shifting to the northern part of the state, so it is possible Mercer, McDowell or Wyoming may lose representatives,” Moore said. “We need to ensure we have the best outcome for our districts.”
Moore said he has applied to be on the House of Delegate’s Redistricting Committee and that he hopes at least one representative from southern West Virginia will be selected for the committee.
“They have not called together a committee to look at redistricting, but I have asked the Speaker of the House of Delegates to be on that committee,” Moore said. “I hope someone from Mercer, McDowell or Wyoming County is on that committee so that southern West Virginia is accurately represented. We need to have a voice in redistricting.”
Despite his concern for southern West Virginia being well represented in the legislature, Moore said he isn’t concerned about the seat he currently holds.
“I’m not concerned about my personal seat because this is not Clif Moore’s seat,” Moore said. “This seat belongs to McDowell County. I’m here as an instrument of the people and not to do what is right for Clif Moore. I’m here to do what is right for McDowell County, and what is right for McDowell County is right for me. I wouldn’t get anywhere just thinking about myself.”
Even if state representation is downsized in McDowell County, Moore said some good might come out of the decrease in population.
“What this does, if any good comes from it, is it makes up for other government funding, because of the numbers, poverty, economic trends, etceteras,” Moore said. “As far as funding based on population numbers, we haven’t been eligible for those funds for quite some time. If we work smart, hard and productively, we shouldn’t have any problem with the grant process.”
