Preparations being made for 2010 census
Preparations being made for 2010 census
By ALYSSA SCHAFER
BHG News Service
You can count on the census. It comes around every decade without fail.
Census officials met with members of the McLean County Commission and representatives from city governments last week to discuss the upcoming 2010 census.
Area government officials were asked to help raise awareness and encourage participation in the census to make sure McLean County receives its fair share of federal funds and census jobs.
Commission members said they plan to meet with city officials in coming weeks to discuss the census and help ensure McLean County residents are ready to be counted.
All U.S. residents must be counted, including citizens and non-citizens, said Max Wetz, partnership specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau.
The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years. This national census counts every person living in the United States.
The 2010 questionnaire is the shortest in census history, with just 10 questions that will take about 10 minutes to answer, Wetz said.
“All of the information collected by the census bureau is held in strict confidence,” Wetz said.
Questionnaire responses should represent the household as it is on Census Day, April 1, 2010, Wetz said.
“There’s a lot of important things that rely on an accurate count,” he said.
The census determines the distribution of more than $300 billion in government funding annually for community services such as food programs for the elderly.
The census is also used to tally state population counts and determine a state’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
