In a few months, residents all across the United States will get a postcard asking them to answer questions for an official population count that will be used for the next 10 years to make important decisions regarding state and federal funding.
Questions on the once-a-decade questionnaire will include asking residents to count the number of people in their homes and whether they rent or own their house.
Johnson County residents’ answers to those questions and the overall population counts of local communities can affect which roads get fixed in the county, what businesses may open up, how many restaurants serve alcohol, how much money schools get from the state and federal government, where police patrol the most and how fire stations are staffed.
Local officials are encouraging county residents to fill out the information for the 2020 Census to make sure their household is counted so cities and towns can get an accurate count of how many people live in their communities and as much federal funding as they can to fix roads, staff schools and be eligible for grants.
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"So much of what we do is tied to these population numbers," said Dale Davis, Greenwood’s planning director.
The 2020 Census is expected to begin in March when residents get a flyer in the mail asking them to participate. Participants can answer questions on paper, by phone or, for the first time ever, online.
The Census is a population count conducted once every 10 years that is mandated by the United States Constitution. At stake, nationally, is $675 billion that is distributed using Census numbers, said Tim Swarens, spokesperson for the United States Census.
“That money helps pays for hospitals, schools, roads and highways," Swarens said. "It is used in a variety of ways that has a direct impact on communities."
Census numbers also determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and are used to draw state and legislative districts, according to the United States Census web site.
Businesses study population counts to decide where to open their establishments, Swarens said. Theoretically, restaurants and shops coveted by county residents could use numbers from the 2020 Census to decide whether to open in local communities.
The number of liquor licenses a city or town gets is also determined by how many people live in those communities, and those population numbers are tied to the Census, Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers said. Greenwood now has an unlimited number of liquor licenses due to its establishment of a riverfront district, but the value of riverfront licenses is not as high due to the time limits placed on them and hoops business have to go through to get them.
Millions of dollars are at stake locally, as population numbers gleaned from the Census are used in nearly every decision local leaders make about their cities and towns, Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett said.
"Just your whole budget is affected by the population," he said.
City officials in both Franklin and Greenwood will look at the population counts to decide where city upgrades could be made to drainage and other city infrastructure, Davis and Barnett said.
Greenwood will also look at the Census data to make staffing decisions for the police and fire departments, as it will give city officials a snapshot of who is moving to Greenwood and what services they might need, Davis said.
Data is also used to decide how much money local schools get both federally and at the state level, he said.
"Getting an accurate count is interwoven as a municipality," Davis said.
Federal and state money is also given to local communities based on what the populations are. For example, the Community Block Grant, federal funding given to communities to address housing and other issues, uses Census numbers when doling out money to grant recipients, Davis said.
Data collected in the Census also affects how many federal dollars are allocated when planning and implementing road projects, said Luke Mastin, county highway director.
“It is important we get good and solid Census data to be sure we get as much federal funding on road projects as we can," he said.
State distribution of the state’s wheel and gas taxes and grants that the county could receive is partially decided on population counts. That is millions of dollars at stake that is used to plan repairs on existing roads and build new roads in the county, Mastin said.
"That is why it is important we get accurate census counts," he said. "It affects the amount of road maintenance and construction we can do for the next decade."
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BE COUNTED
The 2020 Census will start in March, when residents across the country receive a flyer encouraging them to participate.
About 95 percent of American households will receive the flyer and the flyer will encourage them to fill out the questions online. Some homes will also receive paper questionnaires.
If the Census is not filled out online, residents will get a reminder letter and questionnaire in later March and April.
In late April, an additional follow-up will be made by mail. If that goes unanswered, a Census taker will attempt to count the number of people in the household by going door to door.
Source: United States Census website.
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WORK FOR THE CENSUS
The Census is hiring for a range of positions including including recruiting assistants, office operations supervisors, clerks, census field supervisors and census takers, by completing a single application online.
People with language skills, including Spanish, are needed. Opportunities are available throughout Indiana.
Applicants are placed in an applicant pool for 2020 Census field positions and are considered as positions become available. Applications will remain active and updateable throughout the 2020 Census recruiting and hiring period.
For more information, contact 1-855-JOB-2020 (1-855-562-2020) and select option three. Applicants may also contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. For more information, please visit the 2020 Census Jobs page at 2020census.gov/jobs and USAjobs.gov.
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