Forms begin arriving this week; PO box holders may have to pick them up

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Census forms should begin arriving on local doorsteps this week as part of the nation’s once-a-decade accounting of the population. Community leaders say a little extra effort may be needed here in Davidson to make sure everyone is counted.

The town had a below-average return rate in 2000 for Census questionnaires – the first step in the count. Census questionnaires aren’t sent to post office boxes, where many residents get mail. And there are questions about how the Davidson College student population is counted.

An accurate count is important, community leaders say, because official population figures are used in allotting public funds for all kinds of programs and projects and for determining a state’s Congressional seats. And Census data can be the basis for a variety of planning, from guiding public policy decisions about development and transit to helping businesses decide whether to invest in a local market like this one.

“This is a once every-10-year-event and sometimes its hard to understand what a deep and long-term effect it has on us and on funding decisions,” Mayor John Woods said last week. “Funding decisions are made depending on the Census. We want to make sure we get a fair and honest share in the future.”

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have formed a public-private 2010 Census Complete Count Committee to help promote a full local count. Co-chair Melanie Sizemore made a presentation Feb. 9 to the Davidson Town Board.

Her co-chair, Sue Breckenridge, is a longtime Charlotte business leader. She said many people don’t understand the consequences of a miscount: mis-allocation of up to $400 billion in federal funds.

“They make decisions on where to build schools, and where to provide emergency services based on where the population is,” she said. “So if people don’t fill out their Census forms and we don’t know that Davidson has grown by ‘X’ percent, the decisions are not going to be made to provide that kind of programming or those kinds of (services) in Davidson.”

BELOW AVERAGE IN 2000

Census day is officially April 1. Federal Census-takers began their work last year when they conducted an enumeration of local addresses, to make sure they had accurate information on where to send forms.

The count begins – and ends – for most households with a 10-item questionnaire that should be arriving beginning this week.

Local officials are concerned because Davidson’s Census response in 2000 was 62 percent – below the Mecklenburg County (68 percent) and national (67 percent) averages. “That is far less than Davidson’s respsonse to most challenges,” Mayor Woods said.

2000 U.S. Census Return Rates – Mecklenburg County

Davidson 62%
Cornelius 65%
Huntersville 66%
Mint Hill 76%
Matthews 76%
Pineville 67%
City of Charlotte 68%

Pockets of Charlotte had lower rates (west side = 41.7% – 49%; same for pockets in the north and east sides of the city) These represent responses received by mail, telephone or over the Internet through Sept. 7, 2000.

SOURCE: Sue Breckenridge, Charlotte Mecklenburg Complete Count Committee

A county-wide campaign is underway, including public officials and volunteers from the local business community, to boost participation this year. In addition, the U.S. Census Bureau has a Charlotte-area office that is coordinating the local count.

PO BOX HOLDERS CAN GET FORMS

Mayor Woods said the post office box issue may be a factor in Davidson’s low response rate.

“One of the logistical issues we’ve learned is that the Census folks will not mail the Census questionnaire to people who use post office boxes. As you know, a large percentage of our citizens use post office boxes,” Mayor Woods said.

Town officials say a mail carrier will attempt to deliver a census form to every home. If there’s no letter slot or mailbox, a door hanger will be left notifying the household they have something waiting at the post office. Once the person goes to the post office with the notice, he or she will receive a Census form.

If you don’t get a form or a door hanger, you can help ensure that you’re counted by picking up a copy at one of several designated “Be Counted” sites and Questionnaire Assistance Centers set up in Davidson and Cornelius. (See list below)

NO FORM? CENSUS TAKERS WILL VISIT

Census forms are not the only way people are counted, said Paul Capel, manager of the Charlotte Census office. If forms are not received from a known address, those households will get visits by one of the 2,000 field workers Mr. Capel’s office is hiring in the Charlotte area. [The Census will have 24,000 field workers total in North Carolina, he said.]

“If we don’t have the ability to mail you a questionnaire, it comes back to us, and there’s phase later in the year, called a ‘non-response followup.’ We actually go to homes and ask residents,” Mr. Capel said.

He said a census taker will visit a home up to six times between May 1 and July 10 in effort to ensure that household’s information is collected.

Census information is confidential. By law, no personal information may be shared, even within the government.

ON CAMPUS COUNT

Davidson College has 1,700 students and they will be counted as well, Census officials said. Mr. Capel said students are supposed to be counted wherever they are living on April 1.

“If they have dorms, they’re counted there where they’re living as of April 1,” he said. Census officials work with representatives in the college administration who help with the count. “We won’t have people knocking on each dorm door,” Mr. Capel said.

If students live in apartments or other off-campus housing, they would be counted via questionnaires, just as other local residents are, he said.

A Davidson College spokeswoman said the Census count is being coordinated through the college’s Residence Life Office.

Need a Census form?

You also can pick up forms at these “Be Counted” sites:

• Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St.
• Davidson Housing Coalition, 220 Sloan St.
• Ada Jenkins Center, 212 Gamble St.
• Davidson public library branch, 119 South Main St., on the Village Green, Davidson

Forms and assistance also are available at these Questionnaire Assistance Centers. Paid Census staff are on site 15 hours a week to answer questions:

• North Mecklenburg Senior Center, 18731 West Catawba Ave., Cornelius
• Salvation Army Thrift Store, 19706 One Norman Blvd., Cornelius
• Cornelius public library branch, 21105 Catawba Ave., Cornelius
• Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave., Cornelius
• Davidson public library branch, 119 South Main St., on the Village Green, Davidson
• Davidson Housing Coalition, 220 Sloan St., Davidson

ON THE WEB

U.S. Census Bureau’s Census 2010 page.

March 15, 2010, U.S. Census press release announcing the arrival of forms and other info.

Download a copy of the local Census announcement from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Complete Count Committee, with common questions and answers (PDF), CLICK HERE>