by Anita Miller
More than one-third of Hays County residents are at risk for not participating in the 2020 Census, according to a presentation given to Hays County Commissioners Tuesday ahead of the constitutionally-mandated national head count.
Nonparticipation on the part of one four-person household could result in the loss of tens of thousands of federal dollars over the course of the next decade, Census Bureau Partnership Specialist Richard Castanon told the court.
Dividing the approximate $43 billion the state gets from the federal government each year by the state’s population works out to about $1,500 per person. “If a household of four people doesn’t answer, it’s not $6,000, it’s $60,000 – $6,000 a year for 10 years,” said Richard Castanon, Census Bureau Partnership Specialist.
Citing a survey by George Washington University of the 15 largest federal programs that benefit Texas, Castanon said simply dividing the approximate $43 billion the state gets from the federal government each year by the state’s population works out to about $1,500 per person.
“If a household of four people doesn’t answer, it’s not $6,000, it’s $60,000 – $6,000 a year for 10 years,” Castanon said.
Castanon urged the court to either form a Complete Count Committee (CCC) of its own or to partner with the city of San Marcos, which has already established one. Castanon said a city/county partnership is being pursued by Austin and Travis County, San Antonio and Bexar County and Houston and Harris County.
“It’s an organizing tool helping communities throughout the nation,” Castanon said of the committees, which focus on areas identified as being at risk for low participation. “Unfortunately in Hays County we have several Census tracts with a high low-response rate of 27 to 36 percent — that’s the percentage we’re predicting will not respond to the Census.”
The 2020 Census will be done differently than in the past, Castanon explained.
“The last time you got a questionnaire in the mail,” he said. “This time you’re going to get an invitation letter, even though the Census is mandatory.”
The invitation will explain the three means of participation – online, on the phone, or requesting an actual paper form. Castanon said the system contains some “inherent challenges” like the reluctance of some seniors to go online and the simple clumsiness of pushing phone buttons to fill in information about households with many members.
“Some people will see the letter, but not see a questionnaire, and they will toss it,” Castanon said, hence the need for outreach. “We have to develop a strong and solid awareness campaign to let people know how the Census will be done. We don’t want people to toss the letter or forget about it.”
When done online, Castanon said the Census would take about 10 minutes to complete.
“The importance of Complete Count Committees cannot be overstated … the Census impacts everything,” Castanon said.
Hays County Pct. 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe questioned whether every municipality in the count would have to form their own CCC.
“They can. We’ve already heard from Buda and Wimberley,” Castanon said. “The more committees set up, the better.”
