SNOW HILL – County officials agreed last week to set up a committee aimed at increasing participation in the 2020 Census.
The Worcester County Commissioners last Tuesday agreed to establish a complete count committee to increase participation in the 2020 Census.
“It is apparently very important that we get a good count out of this census,” said Ed Tudor, the county’s director of development review and permitting. “A lot of money flows through to the state as well as down to the county based upon the counts that come out of the census.”
According to Tudor, the county had four areas that had high rates of nonparticipation during the last census. In March, representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau met with county officials to stress the importance of a full and accurate count. Tudor said a big part of that was establishing a complete count committee. He said Kelly Henry, the county’s technical services division manager, would lead the committee effort.
“Kelly has provided you with a list of folks that she recommends for the committee,” Tudor said. “I certainly agree with her assessment on those members. I think it will also play out as we develop this there’ll be a need to establish some additional members of that committee.”
The list of committee members presented by Henry includes a variety of county employees, including school system representatives, as well as individuals from the county’s municipalities.
Tudor encouraged the commissioners to establish the committee.
“Time is running out before the census starts,” he said.
Commissioner Chip Bertino said he didn’t see anyone from Ocean Pines on the committee list even though it was the largest community in the county. He also pointed out he didn’t see a media representative on the list.
Henry stressed that people would be added to the committee as she learned more from federal officials about its suggested makeup.
“It’s going to be evolving,” she said.
Henry added that she’d reached out to all of the county’s municipalities seeking their input on suggested committee members but had not heard back. She added that she had upcoming meetings with Census Bureau officials.
“That’s why I kind of want flexibility to add more people,” she said.
The commissioners agreed to form the committee and to give Henry the flexibility to add to its membership as the 2020 Census approaches.
