June 12, 2013
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East Alabamians outline expectations in regional survey By SCOTT WRIGHT CENTRE — Earlier this year, a group of local residents took part in a survey intended to help outline possible plans for the future development of a 10-county region in east Alabama. Known as CLEAR Plan 2030, a series of surveys conducted by the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission were utilized to “take a picture of the region as seen through each county.” The surveys took place in March 2013 in Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Etowah, Randolph, Talladega and Tallapoosa counties. Survey participants were asked to fill out individual handout sheets and participate in group discussions involving flip charts. Participants in Cherokee County said their favorite aspects of living where they do include a friendly, caring community; little traffic; natural resources/climate; and low taxes. Asked what they would most like to see improved in Cherokee County, residents most often cited more educational and recreational opportunities for young people; new economic opportunities and jobs for the community as a whole; better infrastructure; better public transportation; better litter control; and affordable housing. On the question of desired improvements over the next five years, Cherokee County residents said they wanted to see more planned growth; a cleaner Weiss Lake; more recreation and entertainment opportunities; more culture and arts programs; and more dining and retail options. “Thanks to everyone who took the survey,” Chamber of Commerce Director Thereasa Hulgan said. “Everyone is invited to attend the next Community Conversation meeting on July 18 at 6 p.m. at the Chamber office to voice their opinions about our county and get involved with current and future issues.” The study, made public at the June 5, 2013 meeting of the Cherokee County Industrial Development Authority, included population and economic figures culled from U.S. Census data. Overall impressions from 11 indicators showed that residents of the 10-county area are “lagging behind the state of Alabama—not greatly but enough to begin now on a campaign to catch up and surpass the state.” For example, eight of the 10 counties lost population between 2010 and 2012. The lone exception was Cherokee County, which grew at a “modest” .1 percent, while the state as a whole grew at .9 percent. Nine of the 10 counties had a higher percentage of persons over 65 than the average for Alabama (14 percent). Cherokee County's estimated population was 26,021 in 2012, up from 25,989 in the 2010 U.S. Census. Cherokee County's percentage of the population over 65 was 18.4 percent, which trailed only Clay County (18.6 percent). Statewide, the average was 14 percent. Regarding race, Cherokee County's Hispanic population was listed at 1.4 percent. The county's white population was 91.7 percent, the black population 5 percent. Etowah County had the highest percentage of Hispanics at 3.5 percent. Statewide, the average Hispanic population is 4 percent. The percentage of residents age 25 or older who have graduated from high school is lower in every county in the study than the state average of 81.9 percent. Etowah County had the highest rate among the 10 counties, at 81.7 percent. Cherokee County's rate was 73.5 percent. Only Cherokee and Talladega counties showed an increase in private non-farm employment, at 1.5 percent each. Tallapoosa County's rate dropped a “whopping” 57.9 percent, according to the report. As a whole, Alabama dropped 5.1 percent over the same time period. The study also showed that 20.8 percent of Cherokee County's population lives below the poverty level. Statewide, the average is 17.6 percent. |