April 1, 2020 is Census Day. This process rolls around once every decade to obtain a count of population and housing units throughout the country, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The results of this count determine the number of congressional seats assigned to each state and how more than $675 billion in federal funds annually is allocated to state and local governments.

With Florida as the third largest state in the US, and Palm Beach County as the third largest county in Florida, it is imperative that we account for every person in a household in our county and state. Very simply, it helps us get back our fair share of federal dollars.

You should very shortly be receiving an invitation to complete the Census survey, if you have not already. You will have the option of completing the Census by mail, online or over the telephone. Please complete the Census as soon as you can, reporting the number of people expected to be residing in your household as of April 1. Everyone living at the address counts – grand and great-grandparents, parents and guardians, children of all ages, in-laws, relatives, extended family members, friends, roommates, and room renters.

Again, the 2020 Census will influence community funding and congressional representation for the next decade. As our county continues to grow in population, it is essential that we receive federal allocations to deliver programs and infrastructure that affect our quality of life. Each person counted equates to approximately $1,600 per year in federal funding. Currently, the population of Palm Beach County is roughly 1.5 million people. This equates to $2.4 billion a year or $24 billion over ten years for education, health care, housing transportation, infrastructure and others programs and services funded by the federal government. New Census data will affect the redistricting of county and municipal commission districts and may result in a gain of additional congressional seats, enhancing our level of representation in Washington DC.

Some North County communities have asked me about what the Census’ protocol is for having Census workers enter gated communities to follow up on addresses that have not responsed to the Census. Three reminders will be mailed to every address following the initial mailing of the Census invitation. For those addresses that do not respond, the Census will send out enumerators (door knockers) to these residences to elicit the information through the Non Response Follow Up (NRFU) operation. If residents responds promptly to the Census, it will keep the door knocking operation to a minimum.

The NRFU/door knocking will commence in May. Many communities are taking the initiative to conduct their own “Stop the Knock” campaigns to keep Census enumerators away from their communities, and I would encourage you to promote 100 percent response to the Census through your own HOAs and neighborhood organizations.

When it is necessary to send enumerators into a community, the Census Bureau will attempt to get people who actually live in or near the community to perform this task. When Census workers arrive, the Bureau will try to alert the community and local law enforcement that Census employees are onsite. Census workers will carry proper identification and an electronic device or cell phone with them. Keep in mind, they have a legal right and obligation to enter the communities and collect the information from non-responding residents.

The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to keep your information confidential, and they cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics.

Please share this information with your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. We must ensure that each person in every household in Palm Beach County is counted. To learn more about the 2020 Census, visit our website at http://discover.pbcgov.org/census.

As always, if I can be of assistance, please contact me at (561) 355-2201, or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org.