Chapel Hill News & Views - March 2020

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The Mayor ROCHELLE ROBINSON

March is here and we’re well into 2020! With a new decade comes a lot of excitement and anticipation of what is to come in the next 10 years. As you know, we have a lot of gradual change on the horizon here in Douglasville. One of the most important things that will help shape the outlook of our community and our region is the 2020 Census. There are a lot of preconceived notions regarding the Census, but it truly is vital to our community. It determines how federal aid is distributed locally across the nation, how Congressional district lines are drawn, and it helps local governments plan for future population trends. I recently came across a statistic that may help put the vitality of the Census in perspective. The Census Bureau reported that the state of Georgia received more than $23.8 billion through 55 federal programs in 2016. That is quite a bit of money! Those funds are distributed out to localities and are put toward things like infrastructure, education, public health, and more. To ensure that all Douglasville and Douglas County citizens are counted, the city of Douglasville has partnered with the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and the cities of Austell and Villa Rica to form the Douglas County Complete Count Committee. The Complete Count Committee is made up of residents of Douglas County to help spread the importance of the Census, as well as information about how to get counted. Their focus is to educate, break down some of the myths that exist about the Census, and to help those “hard to count” populations get counted. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with the Census, or have even thought about completing it, there is still time! Reminders will be sent to all known addresses in the middle of March, PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

with door-to-door canvassing beginning close to that time as well. April 1st is the big day – Census Day. This is the day that you can fill out your Census questionnaire. Questionnaires are available online for the first time in 2020. If you don’t have access to a computer or the internet, you can still fill out a Census form by requesting a hardcopy form or visiting your local library. There is also a Census Bureau field office located at the corner of Spring and Campbellton Streets in Downtown Douglasville. It is also important to share that there will be non-response follow-ups by Census Bureau staff. After April 1st, if no response has been received from an address, Census workers will visit those address to help fill out the information. So, the best way to keep them from visiting you is to complete your Census form! Once all the Census data is collected, the director of the Census will deliver the counts to the president on December 31st. By this time next year, the Census collection will be com-

plete until the next Census in 2030. I want to assure you that the Census is voluntary, and it is safe. All information submitted on your Census form is protected and confidential under Federal Law, specifically, Title 13 of the United States Code. Information submitted cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. You can get more information about the safety and security of the Census by visiting their website at census.gov. So, aside from taking a few minutes from your day, there really are no downsides to filling out and submitting your Census form. As always, I want to take the opportunity to thank the great citizens of Douglasville and Douglas County. Without your partnership and commitment to progress, we would not be in the position we are today. I look forward to seeing many of you at our spring-time events. May God bless you, your families, and the City of Douglasville. 

MANAGER P resents CTheTY Game About Douglasville! Real People, Places, Events & More From Douglasville

FREE DOWNLOAD • Three $25 Cash Prizes • Large Specialty Pizza from Marco's • Pair of tickets to Pine Mountain Gold Museum • Pair of tickets for the train at Pine Mountain Gold Museum COMMUNITY | MAYOR

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