Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Administration and Oswego Mayor William J. Barlow today announced an October 25 roundtable event will take place in Oswego to discuss the upcoming 2020 Census and steps to ensure a full count of all New Yorkers. This will be the latest in a series of Census-specific regional events to take place across the state in coming months, which will include local stakeholders and U.S. Census Bureau representatives.

The discussion, which will be led by Mayor Barlow and Richard Tobe, Governor Cuomo’s Director of Special Intergovernmental Projects, is open to the public and press and will take place:

Thursday, October 25, 2018, 10 a.m.-Noon

SUNY Oswego Small Business Development Center

Business Resource Center

121 East First Street

Oswego, NY 13126

“New Yorkers need an accurate Census count so that we get the resources we need from the federal government, have the proper number of representatives in Congress and the power due to our state in the electoral college,” Director of Special Intergovernmental Projects Richard Tobe said. “This event in Oswego brings local leaders together in order to work collaboratively to assure a fair and full count.”

Oswego Mayor Barlow said, “We are honored to host this roundtable discussion, which will examine the importance of the 2020 census and the steps we can take now to ensure that a fair count is achieved. Oswego residents and stakeholders are welcome to participate in this important event.”

According the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated $675 billion in federal funds is distributed each year using Census data. These funds support local infrastructure, education, health care, economic development and community service programs. An accurate census count is critical to protect New York’s share of that funding - estimated at $53 billion each year.

The Census count also impacts New York’s representation in Congress through apportionment and is used for federal, state and local legislative redistricting. It also determines New York State's representation in the Electoral College that selects the President of the United States.

Attendees at the October 25 event will learn how New York State is preparing for the 2020 Census, including plans to establish a State Complete Count Commission that will propose a plan of action to achieve full and fair count in 2020. The U.S. Census Bureau will present plans for the 2020 Census, including use of new technology for the enumeration process and efforts to build partnerships to reach hard-to-count populations. Finally, the event will include a roundtable discussion of past Census efforts and brainstorming strategies for community outreach and organizing to ensure an accurate count for Oswego in 2020.

For more information about New York’s efforts to ensure a full count in 2020, please visit https://www.ny.gov/programs/2020-census.

###