By Rod Rose/The Lebanon Reporter
Lebanon — Participation in next year’s U.S. Census is being encouraged by city and county officials.
More than 6,400 local governments are being asked to issue proclamations stressing the importance of census participation.
The Boone County Commissioners recently authorized a “Complete Count Committee” to inform residents about the decennial event. The Lebanon City Council adopted a similar proclamation in April.
Sub-committees established by the proclamation include government, education, media, religious, community-based organizations, business, recruiting and special housing.
About 140,000 persons will be hired to conduct the population count, which is done every 10 years, Area Plan Commission Executive Director Steve Niblick told the commissioners.
“It’s the basic census information they’ve collected for years,” Niblick said. “Our job is to promote it.”
Census officials have asked the county to furnish a location to test prospective workers, and office space for next April and May, said Commissioner Charles Eaton.
“It is so important, and a lot of people don’t understand how important,” Eaton said of the census.
The census determines the size of each state’s Congressional delegation, the amount of federal funding available to local and state governments and more.
