Marina del Rey : Census Count Protested
Los Angeles County officials protested Wednesday that the official 1990 Census figures for Marina del Rey undercounted the area’s population by 30%.
“They weren’t even close,” said Larry Charness, chief of planning for the Department of Beaches and Harbors, which oversees the county-owned marina.
The census put the marina’s population at 7,431 residents. But a more recent survey by the county found that 10,642 people live in the marina, including 306 people who live on boats docked in the harbor. The census did not count boat dwellers.
After being told of the problem, members of the county’s Small Craft Harbor Commission urged the County Board of Supervisors to object to the figures and to notify the area’s congressional representatives of the error.
Although the marina is an unincorporated area of the county and does not directly receive federal assistance based on population, Charness said accurate population figures are essential for planning purposes.
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