News Releases

PHOENIX (April 1, 2019)—With Census Day exactly one year away, the City of Phoenix and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) announced today an official countdown to Census 2020. The launch included the release of the region’s unifying message to encourage participation among all residents through the simple phrase: iCount 2020.

The census plays a major role toward the quality of life in communities. It determines the number of seats each state gets in Congress. Also, the number of people counted helps shape decisions about how public funds are spent for roads, schools, hospitals and emergency services for communities.

“The financial impact to local governments by an accurate census count is monumental, specifically, the distribution of more than $675 million in federal funds annually and we only get one opportunity to count everyone,” said City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “Once residents realize their participation means dollars that are invested into programs and services important to them, we believe they will make the Census a priority,” she said.

In Arizona, about $20 billion in state shared revenues are divided based on population—equating to nearly $3,000 per person, per year, to fund critical programs and services.

MAG Chair Gail Barney, mayor of Queen Creek, noted that MAG represents a diverse region of 27 cities and towns, three Native nations and two counties. “The bottom line: people equal prosperity,” said Mayor Barney. “And as the fastest-growing county in the nation, it becomes even more important to accurately capture that growth. We must ensure that we receive our true total share of funding.”

April 1, 2020, will be the official Census Day. That is the day every individual in the U.S. will be asked to reference when filling out their census form. Cathy Lacy, director of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Denver Region, said during today’s press conference that responding to the 2020 Census will be easier than ever before. “We have three ways you can respond to the 2020 Census—online, by mail or by phone,” said Lacy. She also noted that the Census Bureau is now hiring for a variety of jobs. More information at 2020census.gov/jobs.

About
The iCount 2020 Campaign is a regional effort funded by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and coordinated by the City of Phoenix. The campaign seeks to demonstrate how every person has an impact on the future of the region by participating in the 2020 Census. Follow the regional efforts on Facebook.com/iCount2020official, Twitter @iCount2020 and Instagram @iCount2020Official. Use #iCount2020 to learn more about Census 2020.