City and County launch 2010 Census San Antonio campaign

The City of San Antonio and Bexar County officially launched the 2010 Census San Antonio campaign today. In four months, more than 600,000 households in the area will receive the 2010 Census form by mail.

Getting a complete count of all people living in the city and county ensures a portion of $400 billion in federal funding will go directly to local community programs, healthcare, schools and infrastructure. In addition, re-districting for City Council districts, school districts and the state legislature is determined by data collected from the United States Census.

"It is rare when something so simple as filling out a form can have such a profound impact on our community," said Mayor Julián Castro. "An accurate count of our population will affect funding for a wide spectrum of public programs for the next decade," he added.

"Every San Antonio resident can help create a better future for our city by participating in the 2010 Census," said City Manager Sheryl Sculley. "By each of us completing the census form, we can ensure that our community will get its share of vital funding for essential local services."

The 2010 Census will be bilingual, offering a double-sided English and Spanish version, which, for the first time, will be mailed directly to Spanish-dominant neighborhoods identified by the Census Bureau. In addition, it will be the shortest Census questionnaire in history, with 10 questions that should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. "Helping Bexar County secure the federal funding it needs couldn't be any easier than this because every resident will receive the same short-form questionnaire," said County Judge Nelson Wolff. "It takes less than 10 minutes and it's easy and confidential. And it is absolutely critical that every resident is counted," he added.

Archbishop José Gomez urged historically underrepresented groups, such as the homeless, Spanish-speaking, economically disadvantaged and non US citizens, to complete the Census form. Obtaining funding for healthcare and other services used by these hard-to-reach populations will directly add to their quality of life. In addition, Archbishop Gomez underscored the confidentiality of the data collected on the Census form, ensuring that it is unlawful to report the information to other government agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I encourage each individual to be assured that the information gathered through the Census will remain confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers with anyone," he said.

In order to successfully obtain a complete count of everyone living in the area, the Census Bureau established partnerships with local governments called Complete Count Committees. These committees, appointed by City Council and Bexar County Commissioners, are made up of civic, business and non-profit individuals to help generate awareness at the grass roots level.

The Complete Count Committee began mobilizing the effort by participating in a variety of community fairs since September. Partnerships with school districts, faith-based organizations and others will help ensure a complete count for San Antonio and Bexar County.

Ten years ago, San Antonio and Bexar County obtained a 68 percent mail-back response rate, surpassing the national response rate of 67 percent, ranking number three among major cities. It also surpassed the state response rate of 64 percent.

For more information on the 2010 Census San Antonio campaign, visit www.sanantonio.gov/census.