But the faux superhero’s–and probably Goldberg’s–legacy will live on as Circle Pines reached the 5,000 resident threshold in the 2020 Census, helping the small Anoka County city qualify for state aid road funding.
“Those dollars help keep taxpayers’ taxes down, because we get the funding from the state,” said Goldberg. He said the $150,000 annually can go into the general fund. The city has seven state aid roads, notably Lake Drive, that are important arteries to and through Circle Pines.
“It’ll allow us to continue to maintain those roads in a manner that is appropriate given the amount of traffic they receive,” he said.
The city had just fewer than 5,000 in the 2010 Census, and thanks to a state law after the Great Recession, it was still able to receive the funding. But the push for the 5,000 threshold persuaded Goldberg to don a cape and mask and become Census Man at appearances across the state to get out the word about Census participation. He even was featured in a segment on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
“Filling out the Census is your civic duty,” said Goldberg. “It means a lot to me that other people took up the message and delivered it.”
He said he got an e-mail from Susan Brower, Minnesota’s demographer, as soon as she heard about Circle Pines officially having 5,025 residents.
“She told me we were the first city she looked at,” he said.
And Census Man may no longer be needed, but when the next Census comes around, Goldberg said he’d be thrilled if someone else took on the not-so-hidden identity.
“I seriously doubt I’ll be a city council member by then,” he said with a big laugh. “I’ll save the cape for them!”
