10/23/09 - Local Census Committee Formed
FOREST CITY, NC – As the United States prepares for the 2010 Census, Rutherford County is lending a hand. The national census is mandated by the US Constitution every ten years and requires that all people be counted. Census data helps Rutherford County in many ways. For example:
- Allocate Congressional seats and electoral votes
- Federal funding for government programs such as emergency services, social services, and disaster recovery programs
- Grant funds for non-profits like KidSenses and Rutherford Housing Partnership
- Provides demographic data and labor information that is used to recruit industry and businesses to the county
Across the country, Complete Count Committees are being formed in every community. Here in Rutherford County a group has already formed and begun working on its mission to craft a message showing the importance of everyone being counted. The Complete Count Committee represents Business, Faith-Based Organizations, Community Organizations, Media, Government (Towns), Government (County Departments) and Education.
In February and March 2010, the Census Bureau will mail or deliver more than 130 million questionnaires to households across the United States. Residents are urged to promptly complete and return the forms by mail. The 2010 Census will have one of the shortest questionnaires in history, dating back to the nation's first census in 1790. You can view a sample questionnaire by go to this link: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php#. The official national “Census Day” will be April 1, 2010.
By law, all personal information will be kept confidential and cannot be shared with any other government agency or entity. Census data is used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.
The committee is looking for groups around the county to hand out flyers, bulletin and newsletter announcements, and engage our community for this important initiative. For more information on local efforts, or if you are interested in being a part of the Complete Count Committee, please visit the website at: http://www.rutherfordncedc.com/census.html or call Kerry Giles at (828) 248-1716.
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