City of Whitefish issued the following announcement.
BE COUNTED TODAY!
As of late-August, Montana’s self-response rate was reported as just above 57%, putting us in 47th place in a ranking of states and territories. Flathead County’s self response rate is 55.2%. Without a substantially higher response rate, Montana and local governments stand to lose essential federal funding for education, transportation and heath care, among other programs, placing an even higher burden on local governments and property taxpayers. An inaccurate census count would also skew crucial data for local, state and federal legislative districts for the next 10 years.
Why the Census Matters
The census is very important to Montana! For every Montana resident counted, the Census estimates the state will receive nearly $20,000 over the next decade. This money is used across Montana counties for medical assistance, educational programs, need-based support, infrastructure, highway planning, and over 300 other programs. Census data is used to define legislative districts, establish school districts, and guide decision making in many other functional areas of government. Montana is one of the states on the cusp of gaining a new congressperson so getting a complete count is more important than ever.
What Can You Do?
- Rural representation matters - filling out the census helps ensure rural districts are represented by rural voice.
- Help ensure Whitefish gets our fair share of funding to support local schools, highways, healthcare, and more!
- Flathead County’s response rate is currently at 55.2%.
- Census workers started door-to-door visits August 11 to collect responses - save yourself time by completing your census online or by phone today!
- By phone: 1-844-330-2020
- Online: www.my2020census.gov
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up