Westfield’s $1.8 million special census on hold amid federal hiring freeze

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Two months from now, enumerators were expected to go door to door in Westfield for a special census the city has already spent nearly $2 million and half a year planning.

However, Mayor Scott Willis said they hit a snag when President Donald Trump halted the hiring of federal civilian employees.

Mayor Willis said his city wrote a check last fall to get a new headcount by this spring as Westfield’s population continues to explode.

“In 2020 when the census was done, we were a population of roughly 50,000,” Willis explained. “We think we’re closer to 65,000, and that gap is worth about $1.6 million annually to the taxpayers of Westfield.”

Willis said that extra money could help pay for public safety and infrastructure projects already in the works. Plus, having the numbers to prove Westfield’s growth can attract more business.

When President Donald Trump implemented his new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, it effectively blocked communities like Westfield from receiving the temporary Census Bureau employees they already paid for.

“Trust me, I worked 30 years in the Marine Corps. I’ve seen the federal government up close,” Willis said. “A hiring freeze and a cut is probably appropriate. But if that’s the case, we want our money back.”

In a February letter to the Secretary of Commerce, Indiana Sen. Jim Banks joined the call for answers, asking the secretary to explore options to allow Westfield and other cities to proceed. A spokesperson for Indiana Sen. Todd Young told FOX59/CBS4 Young’s team has reached out to the U.S. Census Bureau for more information.

Meanwhile, Mayor Willis said the window to conduct his census is closing and there may not be enough return on the investment to put it off by another year or two. He said he’s at peace with a refund or seeing it through; he just wants an answer.

“I don’t blame the Trump administration,” Willis said. “It was simply a comment of, the Department of Commerce needs to make a decision one way or the other because I’m sure I’m not the only city being impacted by it.”