OSWEGO COUNTY – The 2020 U.S. Census is winding down. For residents who have not submitted their survey yet, however, it’s not too late. The Census Bureau continues to collect responses until Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Oswego County officials are asking residents to help their communities by participating in the once-a-decade count.
“It’s important for Oswego County to be fairly represented in the census count,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, District 9. “An accurate count will help us receive more federal funding to manage a variety of programs and services that our residents benefit from.”
These include Medicare and Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Head Start programs, school meals, housing assistance, new construction or repairs to highways and infrastructure, public transportation, financial aid for college students and community development block grants.
As of Sept. 11, only 62% of Oswego County residents have responded to the census.
“Parts of our population are at risk of being undercounted, which could seriously impact our financial needs for the next decade,” Weatherup said.
Residents will soon see ads and billboards around the county that highlight the importance of census data.
More than $675 billion in federal funding will be distributed to states and communities based on census results. Census data also determines congressional representation and voting district boundaries.
“It’s not too late for everyone to be counted. It’s quick and easy to do,” Weatherup said. “It takes less than 10 minutes to answer less than 10 questions. The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics. Your personal information is kept anonymous and secure.”
Since 1790, the U.S. has counted its population every 10 years as mandated in the U.S. Constitution. Every person living in the country and its five territories must be counted. U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect their responses and keep them strictly confidential.
For the first time, people can complete the census questionnaire online, making it more convenient for busy lifestyles. However, they can also still call the Census Bureau to answer questions over the phone or simply mail their completed surveys to the Bureau.
For more information about the 2020 U.S. Census, go to www.2020census.gov or call 1-844-330-2020.
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.