HARLINGEN — The more residents are counted, the more federal dollars could come to the city.
That’s why the city wants all residents to stand up and be counted in the 2020 U.S. Census.
Later today, Assistant City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez is expected to present city commissioners with a preliminary plan aimed at convincing residents to take part in the Census.
“We want to make sure everyone is counted,” City Manager Dan Serna said yesterday. “We want to convey the importance of being counted. Often, these counts are tied to federal dollars.”
Over the years, city officials have disputed the Census’ population count.
Meanwhile, Cameron County officials have argued undercounts threatened to cost the county as much as $100 million.
Now, the city is planning a bilingual media campaign to encourage residents to fill out Census forms, city spokeswoman Irma Garza stated.
Garza stated the city is considering distributing fliers in English and Spanish while holding events to reach out to residents.
“We want to make sure we have a game plan ready to go as soon as we can so that we can get as many people counted as possible,” she stated.
Like all cities along the U.S-Mexico border, the city is facing the challenge of convincing undocumented immigrants to fill out Census forms amid a federal crackdown on illegal immigration.
“We also plan a heavy focus on those areas where people did not participate for fear or other reasons,” Garza stated.
In past years, the city has often disputed Census figures.
In 2011, the city claimed its population reached 74,950.
However, the 2010 Census placed that number at 64,849.
In 2001, the city called for a review of Census figures, arguing it had undercounted 2,500 residents in newly-annexed areas.
At that time, Cameron County officials warned the undercount could cost the county more than $100 million from 2000 to 2010.
What does the 2010 Census show?
Population — 64,849
Hispanic — 51,581
Residents age 18-64 — 36,334
