COUDERSPORT — Did you know that once every ten years, you hold the civic duty to participate in the U.S. Census? Failure to do so has consequences that can seriously short-change your community.
For instance, a town in Jefferson County recently failed to qualify for $300,000 in funding for a local bridge project due to a 2010 census undercount of just a few residents.
Census results are a key element in decisions on how some $675 billion is spent supporting state, county, and community’s vital programs.
In an effort to ensure an accurate county in 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau has simplified the process. Surveys have gone from 10 pages to a mere 10 questions. Residents can participate online, via telephone, or by mail.
Surveys will be available for response beginning in March 2020, with non-response follow-ups to begin in May.
For each unaccounted citizen, counties and communities will lose an estimated $23,000 in federal benefits during the decade. These are funds that are earmarked for local education, transportation, health and human services, housing, criminal justice, employment services, agriculture, community infrastructure and environmental protection.
Responses remain confidential. Any illegal disclosure of census data can be punished with severe fines and imprisonment.
Potter County Commissioners Doug Morley, Paul Heimel and Susan Kefover have appointed a Complete Count Committee to work with regional Census Bureau personnel to ensure an accurate count.
Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau is currently looking to fill part-time jobs to conduct fieldwork and door-to-door assessments. Interested parties may find more information and apply online at 2020census.gov/jobs. Additional information is also available by calling toll-free 1-855-562-2020.
