Importance Of A Correct Count For 2010 Census Is Underscored

By Naomi Hatch
   The 2010 Census is a head count of residents, not citizens, explained Gail Sadler, census partnership specialist, at the April 28 Snowflake Town Council meeting. She explained that U.S. citizens, residents working on citizenship or undocumented residents are supposed to be counted, adding, “We have an education and awareness problem.”
   Sadler said, “Every city will be asked to come to the table and take care of their own house.” She asked everyone to think about where they might be if someone is missed in the 2010 Census, noting that revenue sharing for services is based on census numbers, so everyone missed in the 2000 Census has cost the town between $600 and $800 a year. She said the towns received $1,200 to $1,300 per capita in federal funds in 2007.
   Sadler noted that this is the first time in history that every rural county has been mapped, explaining that if you have seen people with computers in town, they were mapping. The Census Bureau has hired almost 150 local people in Navajo County who have used global positioning systems (GPS) to identify households to deliver censuses to. “We will hire the largest peacetime army ever assembled to deliver census to homes,” she said, adding that they have to be mailed back.
   Sadler is working hard to educate the community regarding the census, because in the 2000 Census Snowflake had a 57 percent response rate and Navajo County had the lowest response rate in the state with less than 50 percent of households mailing the census back. “That’s truly why I’m here,” she said, noting the response rate for Navajo and Apache counties for the 2000 Census. Sadler explained that the first response rate is the most accurate data they get, but census workers will knock on a door up to six times and then they have to do a last resort estimate, which means they ask a neighbor how many people are in the household.
   Vice Mayor Kerry Ballard asked about winter visitors.
   Sadler explained that if residents have been away from their legal address for six months and one day, or if they are here on April 1, they will not be at the legal address to get the census form, so they should fill out the census here.
   “This is census awareness year,” said Sadler, noting that Snowflake is forming a Complete Count Committee, which will work with education, media, faith based organizations, businesses and community service organizations to find those who could be missed. She said it would be beneficial for Snowflake and Taylor to work together, noting that the county is responsible for unincorporated areas.
   Sadler explained that the whole point of the Complete Count Committee is to identify those who will be missed and to have a trusted local voice. Those missed could live in a home above a business or a trailer on a property that has a residence.
   Town Manager Paul Watson explained that if 100 people are missed and they lose $800 in share revenue per person, that’s $80,000 a year the town is missing out on for 10 years. He said that another important reason for the committee is to make sure they have representation that can reach out to the special groups that don’t get counted, such as seniors who are homebound, so a representative from the senior citizens center would be important.
   The council approved a proclamation regarding the 2010 Census and is in the process of organizing the committee.