BY LEO JARAMILLO
Rio Arriba County Commission Chair

Everyone can agree that we want what’s best for our communities; better schools, roads, hospitals, etc. And now’s our chance to put those wants into action by taking part in the 2020 US Census. As of April 3, only 3.4 percent of Rio Arriba residents had self-responded to the Census which is an alarmingly low response rate. What that means, is nearly 38,000 people in Rio Arriba County are currently uncounted and if we don’t encourage one another to take part in the Census, we could lose up to $1,425,572,625 over 10 years.

When we all take the 10 minutes to complete our Census, we make a significant contribution and impact to our northern communities. Federal money and congressional representation are determined by total population size, so your Census response assists our community to get its fair share of billions of dollars per year in federal programs.

Don’t forget that the information that you put into the Census is secure, confidential and protected under oath by Title 13 of the U.S. Code. The Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home or business to anyone including other federal departments or law enforcement agencies.

If you’ve not completed your census, please go online to 2020Census.gov to get counted or call (844) 330-2020. You can help shape our future and make our community a better place!