Today is Census Day, April 1! A banner reminding residents to complete and return their census forms today is displayed in front of Lee’s Summit City Hall, 220 SE Green Street. The banner emphasizes “BE COUNTED.”
Why should we be concerned with being counted? The information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:
- Hospitals
- Job training centers
- Schools
- Senior centers
- Bridges, tunnels, and other-public works projects
- Emergency services
The census also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the boundaries of legislative districts.
According to the Census Bureau, the nation surpassed the 50% mark yesterday (March 31), which means half the nation has already returned their census form. The Census Bureau is challenging all communities to achieve a higher rate in 2010 than they did in 2000. Nationally, the census goal is to "beat" the 2000 Census rate of 72%.
If everyone across the nation mailed back their forms, taxpayers could reduce the cost of taking the census by about $1.5 billion, according to the Census Bureau. On the Bureau's Take 10 Challenge Map ( http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ ) you can track how well Lee’s Summit and other communities are participating in the census by seeing what percentage of households have mailed back their census forms. Each community's 2000 Census rate is also on the Take 10 Map.
For more information about the Census, go to www.2010census.gov
Or, contact the City’s Census Liaison Christina Alexander at (816) 969-1607.
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