Goleta Census off to a “great start”

GOLETA, Calif. - Goleta city officials report the preliminary self-response Census 2020 data is off to a great start. Numbers show that 31% of Goleta households had completed the census as of 10 a.m. on March 25.

That response rate is higher than the 23% statewide response and the national average which stands at 23.6%. As good as the city response has been so far, city officials said they are aiming for 100% participation from residents.

"With Governor Newsom's stay at home order, filling out the census is something important you can do easily in a few minutes from the comfort of your own home.  It takes less than 10 minutes. So easy!" said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte. "For the foreseeable future, it is likely that Federal, and State governments will be distributing emergency funding in proportion to our population. We must ensure that everyone is counted so we receive our fair share." 

Perotte said a complete census count is strongly linked to maintaining vital services such as public health. But it goes far beyond that. Cities that are undercounted in the Census face lost revenue for 10 years until the next Census, lost Federal money for Community Development Block Grants, lost revenue for a wide range of city services, including police and fire protection and district election boundaries.

Mayor Perotte said she is proud of the city's Make Goleta Count/Haz Que Cuente Goleta campaign. It's helping the city spread the word about the importance of participating in the Census and what's at stake.

This is the first time the Census can be completed and submitted online. It's easy and guides the person filling out the form through the process. Go to My2020Census.gov.

You can also check out the Goleta City Census webpage for more information.