Census Preparations Begin

SEBRING --

Starting in April, if someone poking around your house says they're with the Census Bureau, they may actually be.

"They're doing a local update of census addresses," says Highlands County planner Don Hanna. "In April, they'll be sending people out. They'll be carrying portable computers, looking for addresses in every doorway."

The workers will be starting with an address list, already verified by the county, which has been transmitted to the bureau.

"We've also provided them with information on places where homeless people might congregate," Hanna said. An estimated 1,400 people live in Highlands County without a permanent address. Some camp behind Sebring High School or the shopping centers.

Beginning in 1790, the U.S. Constitution mandated "an actual enumeration" once every 10 years.

In 2010, the census will verify what Hanna already knows: that Highlands County has crossed the milestone of 100,000 people, making its way from rural to urban.

Hanna and the county were notified a year ago by the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research that the 2008 population estimate reached 100,207. That means nearly 13,000 people have been born here or have moved to the county since April 1, 2000.

The Census Bureau has begun mailing informational booklets to all state, local and tribal governments, asking for updated addresses. It's part of a concerted effort to make the 2010 Census as accurate as possible.

The county has been preparing for eight months, Hanna said. In April, the Complete Count Committee will meet. They will include charitable organizations, church pastors and Hispanic groups.

"Their purpose is to get the word out about the census," Hanna said.

People who live in Highlands County but have illegally immigrated here have dodged census workers in the past.

One constitutional purpose of the census is to decide how many representatives each district and state receive. Texas could gain as many as four congressional seats in 2010. Florida and Arizona may get two each, while Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania could lose seats.

The state representative and state senator for Highlands County could change. Revenue sharing is also based on census data, Hanna said.

"Decennial census data directly affect how more than $200 billion in federal grant funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments each year," said Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, who is president of the National League of Cities. "Clearly, the stakes are high, and participation ... will ensure cities and towns nationwide receive their fair share of funding for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more."

By 2010, more than 310 million Americans will live in an estimated 130 million households.

More info: www.census.gov/geo/www/luca2010/luca.html

Highlands County, Florida

YearPopulation

19309,192*

19409,246

195013,636

196021,338

197029,507

198047,526

199068,432

200087,366