Respond to Census

The County Voice

Every 10 years we are asked to do one of the easiest, safest and most important things we can do for our communities: fill out our Census form. It doesn't sound exciting or glamorous, but without Census data, our communities, neighbors and families risk losing out on federal money they deserve.

An accurate count determines how all the federal taxes we pay come back here to support our communities. It will determine the funding we receive for everything from planning for wildfires and highway construction to supporting small businesses and healthcare services. It will determine whether Montana gets a second voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Census truly is about money and power: Nationally, $675 billion in funding gets decided each year by Census data. If Montana comes up short, then our tax dollars go to other states.

Montana households started receiving postcards on how to respond to the Census in March. Current data show that only about 19% of households in the Seeley-Swan area have self-responded to the Census. Census counters have resumed operations in Montana and if you haven't responded online, by phone or by mail, you can expect a knock on your door soon.

Residents will spend 10 minutes, at most, to fill out the Census but the consequences will last for the next 10 years. So it is vitally important that you fill out your Census form and ask everyone you know to do the same for our communities.

For the first time ever, you can fill out your Census form online. Just go to 2020census.gov and follow the instructions from the notice you received in the mail. If you want to use the paper form, you can send that back in and you can also call and a Census employee, under oath to protect your information, will collect it.

The Census Bureau will protect your data and ensure it remains private. Census employees are sworn to protect the data they collect for life and would face penalties of jail and huge fines if they shared it. Data the bureau collects gets generalized, so your name and address are not released, and no data comes out for 72 years.

The Census will determine support for our county for the next decade. If we don't have an accurate count for 2020, federal funds will go to other areas of the state or nation instead. The constitutionally mandated Census is safe, easy and vitally important for our nation. As COVID-19 concerns linger, the Census is easier than ever to take in the safety and security of your home or place of your choosing. There is no need to interact with a Census employee unless you don't fill it out on your own.  

No matter how you respond, everyone living in your household needs to be counted as part of the 2020 Census. Our next decade and our next generation depend on what you do in the course of 10 minutes.

Dave Strohmaier, Juanita Vero & Josh Slotnick - Missoula County Commissioners

 

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