I interrupt your regular COVID-19 updates for an important message about the Census.
As you likely know, April 1, 2020 was Census Day in the United States. It’s that day that comes along once every 10 years where we all get counted. The first census was undertaken in 1790 under the direction of Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. This year there is another first, as this is the first time that the Census Bureau is asking for your response online or over the phone without having to fill out a form by hand. It will take less than ten minutes to complete.
As of today, the good news is that 57% of Irvingtonians have already responded to the Census, the bad news is, of course, that 43% of Irvington households have yet to respond. That number is way too high. Every few days I receive an update from Westchester County on the Census completion rate, as well as our ranking versus surrounding Cities, Towns and Villages. Our response rate puts at 8th place in Westchester County. Ardsley, Scarsdale, Croton-on-Hudson and Hastings-on-Hudson are all ahead of us… I want to challenge all of you to complete the Census and get us to the top of the list. There are only seven episodes of Tiger King, so once that is over, complete the Census!
The How To
You should have received an invitation in the mail that contains a Census ID. Go to https://2020census.gov to get started. Even if you can’t find the invitation, you can still respond. My daughter and I responded a few weeks ago and I can tell you, firsthand, that it doesn’t even take 10 minutes to complete the form. You don’t need to dig out all sorts of personal records. You will have answers to the questions right off the top of your head, unless you can’t remember your family members’ birthdays…
If you’re looking for some additional information about how to respond, the Census Bureau has some great resources, including how-to videos.
So, join me today and respond to the 2020 Census.
Sincerely,
Brian C. Smith, Mayor
bsmith@irvingtonny.gov
P.S. Are we really going to let Hastings and Scarsdale beat us? LET’S GO BULLDOGS!