City, county join forces for accurate census count

Travis County and the city of Austin have announced an additional investment of $600,000 for the Austin/Travis County Census 2020 Complete Count Committee, a volunteer committee aimed at ensuring that every person in the city and the county is counted in the upcoming 2020 Census. In a joint city/county press release, Austin Mayor Steve Adler said, “Everyone counts in Texas, especially during the Census. Census data is important to our democracy and guides the allocation of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding. Even a small undercount could cost Texas funding for crucial programs. The city of Austin and Travis County have invested a total of $600,000 for outreach to ensure an accurate count of people living in the state, including young children, those in rural communities and – thanks to a courageous ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court – immigrants.” Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said in the release, “Travis County, along with the city of Austin, is committed to making certain everyone is counted in the 2020 Census. Travis County and the city of Austin have made significant investments to ensure the most accurate count possible. We cannot risk undercounting our community. Whether it is protecting our voting rights during redistricting or the allocation of federal funds to local communities, Census data plays a critical role in all our lives.”