Opinion

Commentary: Counting on help for accurate census

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett talks about the importance of the upcoming 2020 census in the keynote speech during the U.S. Census Bureau’s “grand opening” of its new San Antonio area census office earlier this month. Concern abounds about the accuracy of the upcoming count. less U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett talks about the importance of the upcoming 2020 census in the keynote speech during the U.S. Census Bureau’s “grand opening” of its new San Antonio area census office earlier this ... more Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer / Photo: Marvin Pfeiffer / Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Commentary: Counting on help for accurate census 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Next year, San Antonio residents have the chance to secure necessary funding for our community, spur economic growth and prepare our city for the future.

The U.S. Constitution calls for a census to be conducted every 10 years to count the number of people residing in the U.S. This information drives decisions that affect business growth, social services, government representation and more. The stakes are high, and the success of our entire community depends on a successful census.

For the business community, census results drive growth. They enable business owners to determine where to locate operations based on where their customers are, the likelihood they will be able to hire enough qualified workers and whether a community has the infrastructure to facilitate the delivery of goods or services.

In addition, census information decides Texas’ allotment in the House of Representatives and helps federal lawmakers determine where and how to allocate more than $800 billion every year. To that end, the census is also important to every Texas resident who wants to ensure we get fair representation and our fair share of that money. The money we receive is spent on schools, hospitals, roads and public works. It’s used to support children’s initiatives such as Head Start; the Child Care and Development Block Grant (which helps working families pay for child care); and wellness initiatives, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid and Medicare Part B.

Unfortunately, I’m among many in the business community who are worried the 2020 Census could be highly inaccurate. For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau is encouraging U.S. residents to complete their questionnaires online, although paper forms and call centers will still be readily available. As a strategy, it is a smart decision because of the potential cost savings and ease of participation.

The challenge is that Texas is among several states with a large number of “hard-to-count” populations. These include people in rural and geographically isolated locations, those with unreliable internet access, young adults who are highly mobile, low-income households and other demographic groups that may be difficult to reach or unlikely to participate. About 25 percent of our population in Texas — more than 6 million people — are in this category. And right now, about 20 percent of San Antonio residents don’t have broadband internet access at home.

In 2010, San Antonio’s self-response rate was only 73 percent, and according to the George Washington Institute of Public Policy, an undercount of Texas’ population by even 1 percent in 2020 could result in a $300 million loss of federal funding.

To address the problem, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce has joined the national network, Business for the 2020 Census, and partnered with the city of San Antonio and Bexar County to lead a Complete Count Committee. In these roles, we’re urging businesses, churches and civic organizations to use their communications and membership networks to encourage people to complete their questionnaires. We will develop a website dedicated to this effort, complete with a toolkit employers and organizations can use to encourage people in their spheres to complete the census. We will also conduct special outreach to folks living in rural areas, veterans and active duty military personnel.

While we are six months away from April 1, which is Census Day and the official release of the forms, it is important we communicate early to allow ample time to coordinate our efforts. If we succeed, this time next year you will see census messaging in everything from utility bill statements to social media feeds to church bulletins, and public service and paid advertising. On behalf of businesses and employers and everyone who benefits from a stronger community, I encourage every sector in our community to join us in this outreach to ensure our voices are heard and our residents are counted.

Richard Perez is president and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.