Mayor Barrett Issues a Challenge to Residents: “Help Milwaukee Count for the 2020 Census.”
In order for Milwaukee and our state to receive its fair share of funding for various services, it is important that everyone is counted.
Mayor Tom Barrett has proclaimed April 1, 2019 as Census Call to Action Day to heighten awareness of the critical need to count every Milwaukee resident in the upcoming 2020 Census. “It has always been a priority for me to make sure everyone in Milwaukee matters—everyone counts,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I want everyone to participate in the census and I want to engage partners and citizens to help us make sure we count every person in our city.”
In order for Milwaukee and our state to receive its fair share of funding for various services, it is important that everyone is counted. The primary purpose of the census, as mandated by the United States Constitution, is to decide the number of representatives each state gets in Congress. The data also helps define districts at the national and state level. Every year, Congress distributes over $800 billion in funding to states, counties and cities nationwide based on census data. The volume of people in a defined area helps federal officials determine funding distributions for public safety, health, education, transportation, and more. Wisconsin receives approximately $12.6 billion in federal funding annually based on census data alone.
It is important to engage local residents and community leaders to help spread the word about the census. In order to reach Milwaukee’s hard to count population, the City of Milwaukee plans to form a Complete Count Committee (CCC). The CCC will be led by the Department of Administration and will concentrate its efforts on reaching the following populations:
- people of color
- low-income individuals
- homeless individuals
- single-parent households
- Individuals who speak English as a second Language (ESL)
- Foreign-born residents
While the CCC will be integral to reaching hard to count populations, Mayor Barrett calls upon everyone to help reach people. The Census Bureau is currently recruiting thousands of people across the country to assist with the 2020 census. The Census Bureau is seeking to hire census takers, recruiting assistants, office staffs, and supervisory staff. To be eligible, you must be 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, and be a U. S. citizen. Interested residents are encouraged to apply at: 2020census.gov/jobs
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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