Will a county smaller than 60,000 people that has grown by 800 people per year become ineligible for funding if its annual growth rate drops below 800 before it attains 60,000 people?
Yes. The statute’s eligibility test for growth rate is the average annual growth between the most recent federal decennial census and the most recent federal estimate of population. Counties whose growth rate declined significantly between the censuses of 1990 and 2000 and do not currently have approved programs could become ineligible for funding in consecutive years of the program.
