City officials urge residents to complete census form

News release from the City of Menifee:

MENIFEE -- The City of Menifee is encouraging all residents to participate in the 2020 Census to ensure everyone in the community is accurately counted during the nation's once-a-decade count of every person in the United States.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities including the City of Menifee every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community throughout the U.S., from highway planning and public transit to educational programs and housing assistance.

“The online method is very easy and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. It’s critical that each and every person living in the City of Menifee be counted for the Census,” stated Mayor Bill Zimmerman. “The 2020 Census will shape so many aspects of our community over the next decade -- including education, transportation, healthcare, and more. The state of emergency that we are experiencing right now only further reiterates how important it is to have an accurate count of who is living in our City so that we can receive our fair share of federal funding.”

Residents should have received an invitation in the mail last month to participate in the Census.
There are three ways to respond:

Online: Use the code in your invitation or your address at 2020census.gov.

By mail: Send back the paper questionnaire you received.

By phone: Call a toll-free number; numerous languages are available.

As of April 1, the City of Menifee’s self-response rate was 44.8 percent, compared to the County of Riverside response-rate of 36.3 percent. You can view real-time response rate updates here.

COVID-19 and the 2020 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau is adapting or delaying some of its operations to protect the health and safety of its staff and the public. Field operations have been suspended until April 15, when officials will reassess the situation. Updated information on the Census Bureau's plans can be found here.

The Importance of an Accurate Count

The 2020 Census will be used to determine:

-- How more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to states and communities. These funds are spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs.

-- The number of seats each state gets in Congress.

-- How state and local officials draw boundaries for congressional districts, state legislative districts, and school districts.

For more information on the 2020 U.S. Census, visit 2020census.gov. Information is also available at http://www.cityofmenifee.us/596/Census-2020.