Michigan local governments actively promote U.S. Census participation

August 2010

On Friday, July 30, 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau closed its public phone call-in lines that had allowed U.S. citizens who were missed by mailed forms and door-to-door efforts to be counted in the 2010 Census. The Census data, according to the Census Bureau, help determine how more than $400 billion dollars is allocated each year in federal funding for hospitals, job training centers, schools, emergency services, senior centers, transportation infrastructure, and other public services. This past spring, the Michigan Public Policy Survey asked Michigan’s local government leaders if their jurisdictions were doing anything specific to encourage local residents to fill out Census forms. This report identifies those activities.