ESCANABA — The 2020 United States Census is set to take place in less than 200 days. Representatives of the Complete Count Committee in Delta County explained why the census is important to the county and its residents.

Now that former Delta County Administrator Philip Strom has left the county, Michigan Works Workforce Services Manager Darren Widder and Delta County Commissioner Theresa Nelson are co-leading the Complete Count Committee. The committee is a partnership of government and community organizations and individuals; it is working to use local knowledge, influence and resources to develop census related-ideas, identify budget resources, evaluate risks and educate people on the importance of the upcoming census.

Widder said the Complete Count Committee’s primary goal is to ensure Delta County’s 2020 census count is as accurate as possible. The census will have a financial effect on both the county and the state.

“Every person equals dollars for our county and for our programs,” he said.

He said funding procured by the county as a result of the census’ findings will have a direct impact on the lives of Delta County’s citizens.

“This goes specifically towards programs for the residents,” Widder said.

Nelson said that, if some Delta County residents do not take part in the census, the county may receive less federal and state funding than it should.

“We need our share of that to provide the services you want in Delta County,” she said.

Local residents will be notified of the census by email, mail and phone. If a resident does not respond to any of these notifications, a census worker will come to their house to notify them in person.

According to Widder, the 2020 census will set the foundation for the next 10 years of annual population estimates on various levels of government.

The census will also reveal a “cross-section” of Delta County’s population, Nelson said. This will include information on employment rates, income levels, household sizes and homelessness in the area.

“You want that (information) to see what can we do to better Delta County for people’s living situations,” she said.

Census Day for the 2020 United States Census is April 1, 2020. For more information, visit 2020census.gov.