Only 33.7-percent of PC Census in

Dear neighbors,

As a longtime advocate for economic development in Phillips County, there is a pressing topic that I would like to visit about with you, one which is often out of sight and out of mind compared to other priorities: the 2020 Census.

I am concerned because only 33.7 percent of Phillips County households have responded to the Census as of September 4th. That is the seventh-to-worst response rate of any county in Montana, placing us as the 50th lowest response rate out of 56 counties.

Our county has a lot at stake during this census cycle – school funding is based on census data and local infrastructure projects (including roads, water, wastewater, and economic development) need matching state and federal funds. The amount of federal dollars we receive depends on our population, and our population is determined by census responses – each person not counted represents up to $20,000 in missed funds over the next decade.

Alongside school funding and roads, census data also impacts funding for other efforts in our county - projects that I can recall include:

• Highway planning and construction (area improvements including US 191 North)

• Federal Transit Formula Grants (Phillips Transit via MDT)

• Community Development Grants (Malta Opportunities, Inc., Buffalo Trail Water &

Sewer District, former Malta Airport remediation, City of Malta water, plus historic projects in Zortman, Green Acres, and Whitewater)

• USDA and EDA historic projects such as the Phillips County Hospital and HiLine

Retirement Center.

In mid-August, census workers started door-to-door visits to households that have not yet responded – save yourself time and the hassle of a door knock by completing your census online or by phone today at 1-844-330-2020 or http://www.my2020census.gov. You DO NOT need to have a Census postcard or letter on hand to complete the process. It’s a simple process and takes less than 10 minutes.

Do it for your neighbors, for your pocketbook, for our schools, roads, healthcare centers, and for the quality of life, we all enjoy. I urge you to step up for our community today and complete the 2020 Cen-sus!

Best regards,

Anne Boothe