Title
To encourage Columbus residents to complete and return their 2010 Census forms.
Body
WHEREAS, every ten years, the United States Census counts every resident of the United States, as mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution; and
WHEREAS, throughout the month of March, 2010 Census forms were mailed to residences across the nation, and residents have been asked to complete the ten short questions on the form and return it in a timely manner; and
WHEREAS, information collected by the United States Census Bureau is subject to strict confidentiality requirements under Title 13 of the U. S. Code, and no government or private authority, agency, or other entity can obtain personal identifiable data from the Census Bureau; and
WHEREAS, the federal government distributes over $400 billion annually to state and local governments based on Census data, meaning that full community participation in the Census will help ensure that our city receives fair access to federal funds for hospitals, roads, public education, emergency service providers, child care and senior centers, and many other vital community resources and services; and
WHEREAS, the Census Bureau offers many services to the public, many of which - including detailed maps, demographic statistics, American FactFinder, education and training, and numerous economic facts and figures - are available online at www.census.gov; and
WHEREAS, the bureau will provide 2010 apportionment counts to the President by December 31, 2010, which includes the total population counts and the number of congressional representatives for each state; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council encourages the residents of Columbus and central Ohio to support their community by completing and returning their 2010 Census forms in a timely manner.