US Census deadline extended to Oct. 5

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced an extension of the 2020 Census response deadline from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. 

The announcement was made referring to Oct. 5 as a “target date” after a federal judge reinstated the Oct. 31 end date due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

In the spring, the self-response deadline was extended to Oct. 31 but Ross abruptly shortened the deadline last month to Sept. 30. 

With moving deadlines, local government officials urge residents to complete the 2020 Census as soon as possible. 

Adequate funding for health clinics, fire departments, schools, roads and highways is all on the line if the 2020 Census ends with an incomplete count. An inaccurate count directly impacts whether a community gets its fair share of funding for these social services and their ability to provide for the real number of residents. It also impacts accurate political representation as districts are redrawn and reapportioned. 

San Marcos is last in the county for census responses with only 47.6% counted. Hays County as a whole is at 60.5% counted. 

The 2010 Census response rate for San Marcos at 62.5% and Hays County at 67.7% left millions of taxpayer dollars on the table that could have come back to fund valuable public services.