WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — To close out the City’s ‘Census Week of Action,’ West Palm Beach leaders hosted a caravan to spread the word about the September 30 deadline to respond to the Census.
Mayor Keith A. James, City of West Palm Beach first responders, and the city’s 2020 Census Planning Team kicked off an action-packed weekend from Coleman Park and continued the parade route along 21st Street to the Northwest and Pleasant City neighborhoods.
“An accurate count is important to our city’s future,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James. “We are committed to informing all residents – especially those living in parts of our city that have historically been undercounted, about the Census and to supporting Census takers to conduct an accurate count. We encourage residents to make sure to know when to expect the survey, how to fill it out, and how to make sure they are counted.”
Mayor James also listed a number of reasons why it is important to ensure an accurate count of all residents in West Palm Beach, including the following items:
· Census data help planners determine where to locate schools, daycare centers, roads and public transportation, hospitals, and other facilities.
· Census data is used for redistricting of state legislatures, county and city councils and voting districts.
· Census data helps determine federal funding allocation of more than $400 billion per year. Those dollars help fund:
· Title 1 grants to educational agencies,
· Head Start programs,
· Women, Infants and Children (WIC),
· Transportation (public transit, road rehabilitation, and construction),
· Emergency food and shelter, and
· Health and human services programs.
City officials also claim for every person not counted in the Census, West Palm Beach could lose approximately $2,000 per person for projects and services.
For information about the U.S. Census, visit https://www.census.gov/ or wpb.org/census.
