Community leaders are going all out to make sure as many residents of the Quad Cities as possible are counted in this year's census. Organizing started a year ago, and the first questionnaires from the census are scheduled to go out in the mail next week.
Davenport alderman Marion Meginnis is chair of the Davenport Bettendorf Scott County Complete Count Census Committee. She says ten years ago some parts of the area were grossly under-counted.
"And that meant that dollars were lost for programs like free and reduced lunches, services for seniors, affordable housing, and sadly those low counts tend to be in areas where people need those dollars the most."
John Soenksen from the City of Bettendorf says the city has promoted the census on social media, on postcards to residents and businesses, and with signs on city buildings, buses, bus shelters, and city vehicles.
"I was also involved in the 2010 census with the city of Bettendorf and I can tell you that nothing on this scale was done at that time. This has been a very welcome change to how we approach the census."
The census helps determine representation in legislatures and in Congress, and the distribution of federal and state dollars from a wide range of programs.
Residents will be given March and April to fill out the census questionnaires, then the Complete Count Committee will start sending out volunteers to knock on doors, hoping to raise the count in the Quad Cities.
