Wilkes-Barre Partners with 2020 Census to Encourage Resident Participation
The City of Wilkes-Barre is proud to partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to promote the 2020 Census and encourage resident participation.
Every ten years, Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution mandates a count of all the people living in the United States and its territories. The 2020 Census will address every household in the nation with a simple questionnaire with the goal of counting everyone, once and only once, and in the right place.
According to 2020census.gov, by April 2020, households will receive an invitation to participate in the census. You'll then have three options to respond: online, by mail, or by phone. Census Day will be marked on April 1, 2020, with events across the country. This is a key date for the 2020 count: When completing the census, residents will note where they are living on April 1.
Data obtained by the survey will be used to help determine how approximately $675 billion will be distributed from the federal government to state, local, and tribal governments annually. Up to $2,000 of federal funding will be lost for each person not counted; as well as upwards of $20,000 of federal funding lost every ten years.
Census data ensures fair Congressional representation by determining how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as the redistricting of state legislatures, county councils, city councils, and voting districts.
The 2020 Census creates jobs that stimulate economic growth and increase employment opportunities in our community. Information about Census 2020 jobs can be found online at: www.2020census.gov/en/jobs.
Mayor Tony George has established the City of Wilkes-Barre Complete Count Committee, which is comprised of community leaders. The committee will collaborate with community members to ensure a complete and accurate 2020 Census count, through residents’ awareness and education of the count’s importance. The committee will assist residents to overcome cultural, economic, technological, or linguistic barriers to participating in the 2020 census. A complete count requires bringing together leaders from all communities of Wilkes-Barre City, so that everyone regardless of racial, social, or economic background is counted.
Mayor George presented John Stelmachowicz and Lynne Newman, representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau, with a proclamation proclaiming April 1, 2019 to be “Census Awareness Day” it the city of Wilkes-Barre. The City of Wilkes-Barre is committed to its residents contributing to an accurate 2020 Census which will ultimately benefit the residents of this community.