DeKalb County gets ready for 2020 Census Count Commissioner Larry Johnson to lead county’s Census Committee

By Sarita Mason

OCG News Intern

DeKalb County District 3 Commissioner  is gearing up for the DeKalb 2020 Census.

Johnson, who has been appointed chairman of the DeKalb 2020 Census Complete Count Committee by the DeKalb Board of Commissioners, says every effort will be made to educate citizens on the importance of the 2020 Census report.

“We will knock on doors, visit churches, nursing homes, attend events and more to gain a 100 percent response rate for this upcoming report,” said Johnson.  “It is very important that the citizens are aware of the impact their response to the Census will make on their daily lives.”

Johnson said his committee is charged with developing a plan to educate the public about the importance of the Census, which is conducted every 10 years to count America’s population and collect data on race, education, employment and other aspects of life that will help determine policies and federal funding for programs and initiatives.

Johnson said the funding is critical for DeKalb, which is Georgia’s third-largest county(estimated population 756,558) following Gwinnett County(estimated population 927,781) and Fulton County, which has a population of 1 million people.

Johnson said he plans to work with the DeKalb Board of Commissioners to recruit others to serve with him on the DeKalb 2020 Census Complete Count Committee. Johnson said he is seeking leaders who are strongly connected to DeKalb and its communities to help ensure every resident is counted.

“This process requires all hands on deck and we need all DeKalb residents to participate,” said Johnson. “I want to make sure people understand that this affects us for the next 10 years.”

DeKalb could receive funding of $985 million per year for 10 years if the county has a 100 percent response rate, county officials stated in a news release.

DeKalb had a 72 percent response rate for the 2010 Census report, resulting in a loss of $275 million in funding, officials said.

For the first time, the Census will be digital. Residents will be able respond to the Census online, by phone or by mail, officials said.