NEWTON FALLS City status regained in census count

One resident said she's glad the confusion over whether she lives in a village or city has finally ended.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NEWTON FALLS -- For more than 10 years, Newton Falls was the village that thought of itself as a city.
After the Trumbull County community lost its city status by 134 people in the 1990 census, village vehicles were still splashed with the words "Newton Falls City," and some officials and residents still considered their village to be a city.
"Newton Falls is a charter community and when the charter was written, it was written with a city in mind," said Robert Eberhart, administrator.
"Lots of people were disappointed in 1990 when we lost our city status. I think most people went right on thinking of us as a city and not a village," said resident Lois Wynkoop.
But now, thanks to the 2000 census, Newton Falls residents and officials can say they live in a city and hear no arguments.
With a 2000 tally of 5,002, the Trumbull County community barely regained its city status -- a village needs 5,000 people to qualify as a city.
Eberhart said he wasn't surprised.
"We were so close to being a city 10 years ago that it wasn't really a surprise. It would have been a surprise if we would have lost a lot of residents or gone way over," he said.
Some residents also weren't surprised -- but were relieved.
It's settled: "City or village? Both terms were used so much that people didn't know what to think. It was just confusing. I'm glad that now we can say we are a city and mean it," said Wynkoop.
At least one resident doesn't think the 2000 census will have much effect on their daily lives. "I really have no opinion one way or another. It isn't a big deal to me," said Deborah Agusta.
Whatever residents think about the census results, Eberhart said qualifying as a city will make a positive difference in Newton Falls by opening the door for more community development block grants and allowing officials to secure more funds over the next 10 years.
"We don't have a long list of specific grants in mind at this time, but the city status will definitely help Newton Falls," he said.
Wynkoop said she thinks most residents were aware of this financial impact when it was time to fill out census forms.
"I think most people knew it could mean more money for Newton Falls, but most didn't pay attention to the details," she said.