BROWNSVILLE — With billions in federal dollars at stake, Cameron County officials are gathering this week to discuss strategies to increase local response to the census that is slated for 2020.
Census results are used to determine the distribution of federal funds and Congressional seats, but Texas has long faced underreporting, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. said. Appropriations for everything from infrastructure and job training to education and school meal programs are affected.
“Let’s say your job is supposed to pay $3,000 a month, but you only get $2,000. You’re going to feel that impact,” he said. “Multiply that by decades. That’s a huge impact.”
Elected officials and community leaders will meet Wednesday morning at the Dancy Building about how they can tackle Cameron County’s local response rates.
U.S. Census Bureau data shows Brownsville census tracts netted between 22 percent and 31 percent response rates during the last count.
“It’s been difficult to get people to participate. That’s why we’re starting now,” Trevino said. “Because of how critical it’s going to be to our county.”
He hopes to hear about resources that have effectively increased census participation elsewhere.
One roadblock Cameron County faces with census responses is fear residents have, Trevino said, that participation could impact them or an undocumented family member.
A dozen states have filed lawsuits against the federal government over plans to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. It was last included on the document in 1950.
