December 29th, 2009
City steps up Census effort

STAFF REPORT

The 1990 U.S. Census counted 34,733 residents in San Marcos, up less than 6,000 from ten years earlier (28,743), leaving many city officials and others to believe the city was under counted.

The city now claims, by its own count, 51,222 residents. But another census is around the corner, and city officials don’t want to be caught short.

The city recently issued a release promoting the works of the San Marcos Census 2010 Complete Count Committee, which is available to speak to any organization or group interested in learning more about the 2010 Census. The committee has flyers available for distribution and will soon have small posters that can be placed where they will be visible to employees, customers, and clients.

At stake in a count of city residents is positioning for federal funds, more than $400 billion of which are distributed to local jurisdictions across the country each year. The Census is used for numerous other purposes, including the establishment of new representative districts at all levels of government.

“San Marcos needs its share of those federal dollars, and we can do that by getting the majority of San Marcos residents to complete and return the census form,” said local business owoer Arthur Taylor, a member of the complete count committee.

Speaking recently before the San Marcos Interagency Council, Taylor said all social service organizations should encourage their clients, employees, and family members to complete and return the census form. Organizations also can become official 2010 Census Partners by completing a short application that lists various ways the organization can get involved. The application form can be downloaded from the Census link on the City of San Marcos’ webpage www.sanmarcostx.gov.
 
The census form, which is available in many different languages, will be mailed or delivered to each residence in February or March. The U.S. Census Bureau will ask for accounts of who is living in each residence as of April 1, 2010.
 
The U. S. Census Bureau is forbidden by law to share information with any person or government agency. The information cannot be given to police, the IRS, immigration officials, or homeland security. Nothing that identifies an individual is released for 72 years.
 
For more information, or to schedule a visit from a complete count committee member, contact any of the following:
 
·         Arthur Taylor, Chair, Social Service Agency Subcommittee, (512) 392-1376 or dragnet741@gmail.com
·         Jeannie Lewis, Co-Chair, Community Organizations Subcommittee, (512) 353-2872 or Jeannie@centurytel.net
·         Ellie Stewart, Co-Chair, Community Organizations Subcommittee, (512) 392-7205 or elliestewart@grandecom.net
·         Janis Hendrix, City of San Marcos Staff Liaison, (512) 393-8147 or jhendrix@sanmarcostx.gov