Officials urge participation in 2020 census

SALISBURY, Md. – 2020 will be a big year for several reasons. It’s the start of a new decade. A presidential election will be held. But also, the 2020 Census.

“It’s critical, this only comes around once every ten years, so we’ve got to get it right,” Julia Glanz, Salisbury City Administrator, said.

And with the census right around the corner, officials in Wicomico County are reminding everyone how important the questionnaire is, and the funding that comes from it.

“The funding can go toward transportation, it can go toward more social services like homeless services, new mother services, WIC, food stamps, educational services, parks and playgrounds,” Glanz said.

But to receive that funding, you need to participate in the census. Otherwise, officials say, everyone feels the impact.

“If we under-count this year, it’s going to have a ripple effect over the next ten years, so that’s less funding in our community, that’s less resources available for everybody, and for those in need especially,” Glanz said.

But getting an accurate count of people living in Wicomico County means getting historically under-counted groups involved. One of those groups is the Haitian community right here in Salisbury.

“We’ve been trying to mobilize the people, get them to get involved with the census, speaking to different pastors and different churches in the community to make sure the community understands the concept of the census,” David Daybreak, a member of the Haitian community working to rally others, said.

For that community, getting involved and represented is the first step toward building a future.

“We cannot focus on the past, we have to do our part for us to get better representation for the future,” Daybreak said.

But the census is about having everyone represented, so officials are urging you to do your part.

“Open the mail, go online, get counted, this is our opportunity to make sure that Salisbury gets all the resources that it deserves and that you deserve,” Glanz said.

April first is Census Count day, and it should all be wrapped up by June.