Dana Point News Article- March, 2009

The Importance of the 2010 Census for Cities

Lisa Bartlett, Mayor — City of Dana Point

Pursuant to the U.S. Constitution a census is taken every 10 years.  The census is essentially a headcount of every person residing in the United States and the results of the census enables data guide planning for new hospitals, schools and other services, along with the essential funding which includes community development block grants and other grant programs for cities.  Census information helps determine locations for schools, roads, hospitals, child-care, senior citizen centers and other community facilities.  Businesses use census data to locate supermarkets, shopping centers and new housing.

Every year, more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded based on census data, therefore, it is important to ensure that we have a precise count in each city.  The City of Dana Point supports the Census Bureau efforts and we have signed the 2010 Census Partnership Agreement Form which outlines our goals and commitment to this important endeavor.  Of course, the 2010 Census is a monumental effort and in the 2000 Census, over 140,000 organizations were partners, including state and local governments, community and faith based organizations, schools, media, businesses and others.  This strong partnership will once again result in more accurate information which means greater dollars allocated and received on a local, regional and statewide basis.

The process is simple and takes only a few minutes.  When you receive your Census questionnaire you need to answer several questions and return by mail.  The Census Bureau does not release or share information that identifies individual respondents or their household for 72 years.  The 2010 Census will create hundreds of thousands of temporary jobs across the nation, including positions in Dana Point.  For information about available positions you can call the toll-free number: 1-866-861-2010.  In order to prepare for the upcoming census, job recruiting is already in progress and positions are being staffed on a continual basis. 

The City of Dana Point urges all residents to participate in the 2010 Census.  If you have any questions please contact Christy Teague, Economic Development Manager at city hall.  For information from the U.S. Department of Commerce website, please go to www.census.gov/2010census.