2020 Census committee formed
Group aiming for complete count of county residents
About two dozen government and civic leaders from around the county listen to a presentation on how to help make the 2020 Census function smoothly next year. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – Preparations for the 2020 Census are gearing up around the country including Medina County where a Complete Count Committee has been formed to help make sure all county residents are accounted for in next year’s census.
About two dozen representatives from business, government and educational institutions met with a U.S. Census Bureau partnership representative in Medina Nov. 20 to lend their support to the cause. The committee is being organized by Sonja Pagniano from the Medina County Department of Planning Services and Jaclyn Ringstmeier, director of the Medina Area Chamber of Commerce.
According to Ringstmeier, the purpose of the local census committee is to encourage members to make connections with other community members who will help spread the word on the importance of participating in the 2020 Census.
Census Bureau spokesman Jamie Johnson told committee members now is the time to develop a strategy and plans that will help the count in Medina County.
April 1 has been designated Census Day but people will begin hearing a lot more about the census in January as national advertising campaigns are launched and complete count committees launch activities in schools, churches and government agencies designed to spread the word.Johnson said people should feel safe about disclosing information since all Census employees take an oath not to disclose personal information they collect and it is illegal for them to share that information with any other agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
By law, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. That’s protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Code.
There are three ways to respond to the 2020 Census. By April 1, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding: online, by phone or by mail. The 2020 Census marks the first time you’ll have the option to respond online.
The Census Bureau asks questions about the names, age, sex and ethnicity of the people you live with but will not ask you for your Social Security number, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, or your bank or credit card account numbers. If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it’s a scam, and you should not cooperate.The U.S. Constitution requires a census every 10 years to count everyone living in the country. Its accuracy is important because census data can have a big impact on government and business decisions.
First and foremost, census data determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and how the boundaries of legislative districts may be drawn.
However, the census also provides data that is important to local cities and counties for a variety of other reasons. For one thing, the federal government allocates more than $500 billion a year to states and communities based partly on census data.
Among the county agencies that get funding based on the population they serve are Jobs and Family Services, the Emergency Management Agency, the Health Department and the Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority. Many other agencies also rely on state and federal grants that come to Medina County based on population.
About two dozen representatives from business, government and educational institutions met with a U.S. Census Bureau partnership representative in Medina Nov. 20 to lend their support to the cause. The committee is being organized by Sonja Pagniano from the Medina County Department of Planning Services and Jaclyn Ringstmeier, director of the Medina Area Chamber of Commerce.
According to Ringstmeier, the purpose of the local census committee is to encourage members to make connections with other community members who will help spread the word on the importance of participating in the 2020 Census.
Census Bureau spokesman Jamie Johnson told committee members now is the time to develop a strategy and plans that will help the count in Medina County.
April 1 has been designated Census Day but people will begin hearing a lot more about the census in January as national advertising campaigns are launched and complete count committees launch activities in schools, churches and government agencies designed to spread the word.Johnson said people should feel safe about disclosing information since all Census employees take an oath not to disclose personal information they collect and it is illegal for them to share that information with any other agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
By law, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. That’s protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Code.
There are three ways to respond to the 2020 Census. By April 1, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding: online, by phone or by mail. The 2020 Census marks the first time you’ll have the option to respond online.
The Census Bureau asks questions about the names, age, sex and ethnicity of the people you live with but will not ask you for your Social Security number, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, or your bank or credit card account numbers. If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it’s a scam, and you should not cooperate.The U.S. Constitution requires a census every 10 years to count everyone living in the country. Its accuracy is important because census data can have a big impact on government and business decisions.
First and foremost, census data determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and how the boundaries of legislative districts may be drawn.
However, the census also provides data that is important to local cities and counties for a variety of other reasons. For one thing, the federal government allocates more than $500 billion a year to states and communities based partly on census data.
Among the county agencies that get funding based on the population they serve are Jobs and Family Services, the Emergency Management Agency, the Health Department and the Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority. Many other agencies also rely on state and federal grants that come to Medina County based on population.
