Bigger numbers won’t necessarily mean big changes for Benton County’s smaller cities and towns.

While most of the county’s municipalities grew during the last decade, the results of the 2010 U.S. Census show growth wasn’t evenly distributed across the county, either in numbers or in the rate of growth.

Among the smaller towns and cities, growth can bring in additional revenue through the county sales tax and state turn back money. And growth can also change the shape of city government.

Jeff Hawkins, with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, said state law divides municipalities into incorporated towns, which have fewer than 500 residents, and cities of the second class and cities of the first class. Cities move from second to first class as they grow in size, with a population of 2,500 being the trigger for the change.

Hawkins said going from an incorporated town to a city of the second class is probably the biggest change. Garfield will have to make that change after this most recent census put its population at 502 people.

As an incorporated town, Garfield elected five aldermen at large, Hawkins said. Now the city will have todo a detailed study so it can draw upwards of roughly equal for electing its city council.

News, Pages 1 on 02/23/2011