Census office opening lauded
CRANBERRY TWP — With the 2020 United States Census operations set to begin this summer, regional offices are opening up across the country, including one on Executive Drive, slated to serve counties through Western Pennsylvania and into Ohio.
Township, county and census officials gathered at 10 a.m. Friday to commemorate the opening of the Cranberry office and to discuss the importance of the census and the data it collects.
“Opening this office and launching the 2020 Census is a significant milestone in America,” said Dick Hadley, Cranberry Township supervisors chairman. “Having a reliable source of information is huge.”
Businesses, organizations and government agencies all depend on census data to guide their decision making, he explained.
County Commissioner Kim Geyer said, at the county, every department relies on census data to determine where to invest time and money.
“We use (census) data on a daily basis at the county,” she said. “All departments use and need it.”
More than just a headcount, the decennial census provides lawmakers and officials with data on employment levels, income statistics, regional demographics and much more.
Geyer said this impacts everything from community block grants to state and federal funding, and explained that an accurate count is needed for officials to make the right decisions.
“This is a privilege we have every 10 years,” she said. “And we need to capitalize on it.”
Census officials thanked the township and the county for its commitment to working toward a successful census and emphasized the importance of area organizations and individuals in encouraging residents to complete the form.
Steven Shope, supervisory partnership specialist, said that in today's media-saturated environment, census officials find people are less likely to engage with advertisements or staff members going door to door. This makes local connections more important than ever.
“If they can hear and be inspired by a trusted voice in the community, they will be more likely to complete the census,” Shope said.
Work on the 2020 census has already begun as officials look to recruit people to staff offices and go door to door. Officials said thousands will be needed to accomplish the task.
Earlier this year the U.S. Census Bureau announced that Cranberry Township will serve as a regional hub for operations and data collection for the 2020 census, serving as the headquarters for 45 counties in Pennsylvania as well as nine counties in Ohio.
For more information about the census or on how to get involved, visit www.census.gov.
