Monday, December 30, 2019

Start Your Countdowns With 3 New Census Resources

By Rachel Walker, LMC policy analysis manager 

Hey all, it’s Rachel, your trusty policy analysis manager at the League. You may remember me from such escapades as “On The Road With the State Demographer.” Well I’m back with a quick check-in. On New Year’s Day, it will be just a quick three months until Census Day — April 1.

A complete count in 2020 means a lot for Minnesota cities, not the least of which is about $2,800 in federal funding per person per year that is distributed into the state through formulas based on the census. That money funds things like roads and schools, to name just a few.  

Since everyone loves a countdown at this time of year, here are three of the latest ways to raise awareness of the census in your city hall and community:

Three ... 

Spread the word with your staff, volunteers, retirees, neighbors, friends, and anyone else who may be interested in high-paying and flexible, part-time work. Minnesota needs 7,500 census workers! The jobs start at $16 per hour.  More details are available on the state demographer’s census website:  https://mn.gov/admin/2020-census.

Two ...

Get yourself to the We Count Minnesota Census store for all your counting merchandise.  Need a belated holiday gift or planning ahead for 2020 birthday gifts for family and friends? A "We Count Minnesota" canvas shopping bag can help you start conversations about the census at the grocery store, the library, or the park.

One ...

Listen to the League’s City Speak podcast on preparing for the 2020 Census. Minnesota’s own state demographer, Susan Brower, details how her office is supporting local governments in getting ready and explains why the census matters.

Happy Census Year!

As always, you can find information on complete count committees, census jobs, and key contact information for your census questions at https://mn.gov/admin/2020-census/.

We've also got a roundup of census training resources for cities on the League website, and you can email me at rwalker@lmc.org with questions.

Yours in a complete and accurate count,
Our census caped crusader, spotted at
the League's Annual Conference.

Rachel Walker

P.S. In case you missed it, Census Man, aka Circle Pines City Councilmember Dean Goldberg, has hit the big time. Following Census Man's appearance at the 2019 Annual Conference in Duluth, he is now making the late-night talk show rounds. (OK only one, but still pretty cool).