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Census response is important

Your response to the Census is critical! It’s easy, and it only takes a few minutes.

The Census data helps direct the distribution of $675 billion in federal money each year. This funding goes to local villages and towns, to health care organizations such as hospitals, safety-net clinics, and ambulance companies, and to organizations from food banks to senior centers to veterans’ programs. This money helps us to thrive, and in many cases to survive.

The Census is used to determine the State Assembly and Senate District and the Congressional District boundaries, and the number of Congressional Representatives the state gets.

The Census count (post pandemic) was supposed to end October 31st, but it was recently announced that the count will end on September 30th. This is very bad for our area. This is how our local municipalities rate vs. the rest of the state:

Our “self-response” rates are averaging 11% less than in 2010. There were supposed to be 10 weeks of door-to-door follow-up to get responses from the “missing” households. That has been reduced to only six weeks.

Between the lower self-response and the reduced follow-up effort, our region will be severely undercounted.

To complete the census online: https://my2020census.gov/app/intro/state

To complete by phone call: (844)-330-2020

I have arranged for census workers to be at the milk & dairy giveaway on Saturday, August 22nd at the Saranac Lake High School from 9-12 and at the Saranac Lake Farmers Market on Saturdays.

So please, fill out your Census form. It takes less than five minutes.

Richard Shapiro

Trustee, Village of Saranac Lake

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