Local officials are urging Bartholomew County residents to complete the U.S. Census survey when the census postcards hit mailboxes next March.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop said getting an accurate census count for the city is crucial for the city, and the county, to obtain federal funding for large road and bridge projects.
Since 2017, Lienhoop estimated the city has received more than $20 million in federal funding for various road and bridge projects and an additional $250,000 to $285,000 in federal funding for Community Development Block Grant funding.
Projects include improvements at the I-65 and State Road 58 intersection, the historic bridge that is now a pedestrian crossing over Haw Creek in Columbus — a project years in the making, road projects on Rocky Ford and Taylor roads and Indiana Avenue, and signal work at State Road 46 and State Road 11.
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“That’s $20 million of work for projects that were 80% funded by federal funds,” Lienhoop said. “And all of it was awarded based on population. We need to have as accurate a count as we can, to get what we are eligible for, from the federal government.”
Bartholomew County transportation planner Laura Thayer said these transportation dollars come by way of the Indiana Department of Transportation, which is tasked with dividing the funds among the state’s counties after the federal government allocates money to each state.
All of this is done through a formula based on population numbers garnered by the census. Thayer said she’s unsure whether anyone could predict the impact of population decline identified by the census.
In a hypothetical situation, Thayer said if one state’s population was under counted, then that state could possibly lose some of its funding.
Currently, Thayer said the Columbus Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which leads the transportation planning process on behalf of the city of Columbus and Bartholomew County, receives both planning funding and construction funding.
“Next year our federal apportionment is going to be $160,000 for planning,” Thayer said. “Our construction funding is going to be about $1.8 million. Those are federal funds. We also have a local match. What the construction money goes to is projects that have been identified through a planning process.”
Thayer said the planning process gives the public an opportunity to have input on what projects need to be completed.
But the census does more than just determine where Congress should allocate federal dollars.
The state receives nearly $18 billion in annual federal funding based on population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data collected in 2020 will determine how much Indiana could receive until the next census in 2030.
The fewer people counted, the less money allocated to the state to fund programs such as Medicaid, highway projects, and programs supporting low-income housing and school lunches.
Lienhoop said Columbus continues to grow, as do other communities around Indiana, with Columbus experiencing about 1,000 new residents moving here a year. The current estimated population is 47,143, but that could bump up substantially depending on the count.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a total population of 82,753 people in Bartholomew County in 2018 — an estimated 7.8% increase since the 2010 census.
“We’ve just been dealing with estimates since the last census,” Lienhoop said.
In addition to having a better idea on how many people live in the city, Lienhoop said the census also tells city officials how diverse the community is in a 10-year snapshot.
The census will also provide data as to income levels and provide hints as to the type of programs and services Columbus needs based on population data, Lienhoop said.
— Republic Editor Julie McClure contributed to this story.
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The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting people to apply for temporary positions as work begins for the 2020 Census.
As of March 4, more than 170,000 recruits had already completed job applications to qualify for temporary census jobs and more than 800 had been hired, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
More will be hired through the year for jobs in the spring and summer of 2020. That’s when census workers knock on doors to interview people who don’t respond to the census.
Schedules are flexible depending on the job, and the pay averages $15 to $19 per hour.
Individuals who are at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number and are a U.S. citizen are eligible to apply. Anyone selected will have to pass a background check.
To apply, visit 2020census.gov/en/jobs or call 855-JOB-2020 and select option 3 for more information.
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