Numbers from this year's census could affect state funding and local politics, which is why officials are pushing census awareness.
Ohio could lose representatives in Congress, depending on the turnout of the 2010 census, which will be distributed in mid-March, said Kevin Boyce, chair of the Ohio Complete Count Committee and state treasurer.
It is projected that Ohio can lose two seats in Congress because southern states are growing at a faster rate.
We want to make sure that Ohioans are fully engaged in the census process and every person is counted
Boyce said. We want to make sure that Ohioans are counted in every way to also get money to fix roads and build schools.
A documented increase in Athens County's population could result in an additional city council seat and attract more businesses to the area, said Nick Claussen, community relations coordinator for Athens County Job and Family Services.
Student participation traditionally brings down the income level of a population and increases the poverty level; however, this year the U.S. Census Bureau is implementing a short form which does not request income information, Claussen said.
The short form asks for the phone number and the number of people in the household, as well as their sexes and ethnicities.
The state asks people to fill out the census where they reside 50 percent of the time, Boyce said.
The student portion is a critical part he said, adding there are 13 major universities in Ohio and many private ones
so it's critical we engage them early in the process.
Students should fill out the census in Athens County instead of at their permanent residence, Claussen said.
Representatives in the residence halls will distribute the census data to on-campus students, and off-campus students will receive the census in the mail, Claussen said.
Athens County Job and Family Services will promote awareness until the U.S. Census Bureau sends out the form in mid March. Officials will visit OU and Hocking College next week to inform college students about the census and interview students for a promotional video.
There will also be an Athens County Census Committee meeting next Tuesday at Hocking College.
We are worried about getting the students from off-campus so we are going to get the word out
Claussen said. I think every student wants to be counted and take part in this.
1
News
Sarah Beth Hensley
