Mar 16, 2006 11:39 pm US/Central
Rockwall 4th Fastest Growing County In America
by Brooke Richie
ROCKWALL (CBS 11 News) ―
Every year, the U.S. Census Bureau ranks the fastest-growing counties in America.
This year, another north Texas county made the list.
Rockwall County had the fourth-largest population boom in the U.S. and it ranked first among all Texas counties.
It's the smallest county in Texas, yet it's making a big top-ten list. Rockwall County is flourishing.
"They're moving from everywhere, all over different states. I don't know how they find Rockwall, you know," said Randy Earl Parks, Rockwall County Constable.
But when they do... the 147 square mile county feels their weight.
"Traffic, the streets looking out of 205, about 15,000 cars a day or more. There's more warrants that my office is serving. We've got a lot of new subdivisions coming in," said Bill Bell, Rockwall County Judge.
Rockwall County's population now sits around 68,000. The accolade of fastest growing county in Texas also brings a burden on the schools.
"It just takes a lot more schools. The people in Austin never solved the tax problem, that may solve our problem," Bell said.
More schools and wider roads are on the horizon in Rockwall.
"Growth brings problems, but you're not going to change it, so you can't worry about those problems. You've gotta solve them," Bell said.
Rockwall isn't the only north Texas county experiencing a boom in population. Collin County is also on the list, ranking as the second fastest growing county in Texas.
"Certainly our schools have been growing at literally breakneck speed, and our community college is up to 41,000," said Ron Harris, Collin County Judge.
Judge Harris also looks at growth as a plus... with challenges.
"The place that doesn't grow is like water that doesn't run. It stagnates."
Those types of challenges are ones growing counties in north Texas are happy to tackle.
(CBS 11 News)
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