You can help Clarion and Wright County by responding to the 2020 Census!

                April 1 is officially Census Day. According to the official website, 2020Census.gov, “By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond to the census, you'll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.” If you haven’t completed the Census by April 1, don’t worry. There is still plenty of time.

                That means that by this week, you should have received a 2020 Census form, likely by mail. The mailed form should have a code that you can use to fill out your Census online, which is the preferred way to complete it. You can also fill out the form that you received via mail and send it back for free or call the phone number provided. If you have not gotten anything in the mail or have lost it, you can still respond by going to the website and clicking the big green “Respond” button.

                Local officials implore Clarionites and everyone in the county (and country) to complete their Census. Wright County Auditor Betty Ellis released information reminding everyone, “The census equals money for states, cities and communities. Funds from the federal government will be distributed to the states to support all types of government services, including infrastructure, healthcare, social welfare and education. Census data will be used to redraw district lines to determine representation at the federal, state and local level.”

                Clarion City Administrator Clint Middleton echoed this. He said that the funding aspect tied to Census data is huge. “Based on our numbers, it determines the capabilities that the town has doors opened to.” For instance, the 2010 Census set the population of Clarion at 2,850. Middleton stresses that many businesses, grants, and opportunities could come Clarion’s way when we achieve a population of 3,000.

                It is crucial that everyone is counted, Middleton adds. You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to be included in the count either. The Census website stresses, “The goal of the census is to count every person living in the United States, once, only once and in the right place.”

                Information given on a census is 100% confidential. In fact, it is a felony for the Census Bureau or their employees to disclose any confidential census info, including to any other government agency. A census official who spoke to city officials reiterated, “We don’t work for people’s landlord, the FBI or immigration. All respondent data will be protected.”

                This year, it is very easy to respond to the Census no matter what language you speak. City Clerk Ana Juarez said that people can complete their Census in Spanish this year. And there are also Census phone hotlines for over 15 languages.

                Officials note that there have been some adjustments to the Census due to COVID-19 concerns. The self-response phase has been extended to mid-August, so people have ample time to complete their questionnaire. If anyone has questions, city and county officials encourage them to first visit 2020Census.gov, which has a wealth of helpful resources.