By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
With the 2020 census approaching, local leaders are moving ahead with partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure all township residents are accurately counted.
At a recent Franklin Township meeting, the board listened to a presentation by Mark Boyd, partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, about ways the township can work with the U.S. Census Bureau.
“As everyone is aware, we have less than a year before the 2020 census and we wanted to meet with local leaders and residents to talk about the importance of the upcoming census,” Boyd said. “Our goal of the upcoming census is to get the most accurate count ever and ensure everyone is counted once and in the right place.”
According to Boyd, census counts have a huge impact on communities. From representation in government to funding for public resources like hospitals and schools, census numbers could dramatically impact communities.
“It is crucial that we get a correct count of the residents of your community to ensure you get all the resources you should be getting for your population,” said Boyd.
In an effort to reach residents, the U.S. Census Bureau will be executing a variety of marketing tactics. These tactics will include raising awareness with traditional media via news stories, running ads both online, through radio and print media and advertising on social media.
“Also, for the first time ever residents will be able to complete their census online,” Boyd said. “We will have paper copies of the census for those who don’t have access to a computer or internet, but we are hoping to get over a 50 percent response rate online.”
According to Boyd, this is a big change for the census, which used to always be done entirely via paper submissions. However, Boyd said in order for the census to accurately count the region, they need the township to be actively involved.
“We need you to be involved and encourage your residents to complete the census,” Boyd said. “They are more likely to listen to you instead of people from Washington D.C.”
Boyd encouraged the trustees to create a 2020 Census Complete Count Committee. This committee is a combination of local leaders, business owners, school leaders, key residents and other influencers in the community.
“We have a large Somali, Latino and transient population, so it is important that we engage with these residents and ensure they are counted,” said Aryeh Alex, township trustee. “We are very interested in setting up this committee and working with you in this important count.”
Boyd also added that residents who are looking for extra work could also work for the U.S. Census Bureau to execute the 2020 census.
“There are both temporary full-time and part-time jobs for those interested,” Boyd said. “Most of these jobs are work from home jobs, so they are easy to do in addition to a current job you may have.”
According to Boyd, the jobs pay anywhere from $12 to $32.50 per hour. If you are interested in learning more about the 2020 census or applying for a job, visit www.census.gov.
