Time to start the counting

TORONTO - Census Day 2010 isn't until April 1, but there is a hub of activity in a former storefront in the Sloane Station Plaza on Franklin Street making preparations for the big day.

The Constitution mandates a census be taken every 10 years to determine the apportionment of the House of Representatives. Since the Constitution was enacted in 1789, the Census has become the lead demographic tool for determining federal spending patterns, too.

The U.S. Census Bureau has established a regional office in the remodeled storefront next to the Stacey's IGA, led by Don Jordan, local Census office manager.

Jordan said more than 1,000 part-time and full-time employees will work through the office on the 2010 Census, with most of the office staff and managers already hired, but more positions are available.

Jordan said there will be enumerators and crew leaders to start working in March for temporary positions that last about eight to 12 weeks for follow-up on those who don't respond to the Census forms.

"The jobs in the field have a good pay rate, of about $10.75 an hour plus training," Jordan said. "We want people to call in to apply to be tested and to be available for our applicant pool."

Applicants may call the toll-free Census jobs line at (866) 861-2010 or go to the Web site, www.2010censusjobs.gov.

Applicants who qualify will be scheduled for a test, which will be given throughout the 13-county area served by the Toronto office on a regular basis.

"The jobs we are seeking to fill work out very well for part-time or secondary jobs, for temporary work for students or retirees or veterans. Primarily, you have to be a U.S. citizen, age 18 or older," he said.

The office, already a busy place with people double-checking addresses and doing other prep work, will become even busier during Census season, with more than 1,500 reports coming in daily, plus thousands of information folders to be processed.

Jordan has experience as a management consultant and worked in the Commerce and Agriculture departments for years, as well as service as a corporate executive and as an executive for a national trade association.

"I picked up a lot of skillsets to run an office like this," he said.

Cynthia King, Southern Ohio partnership specialist for the Census, emphasized the 2010 Census will be the easiest, with only a simple, 10-question form being used, seeking only very basic information about residents.

"We're not even asking for Social Security numbers," she said.

"Being counted in 2010 is so important," she said, noting that during the 10 years after the 2010 Census, more than $400 billion in federal spending is at stake based on the census data, as well as representation in Congress.

"We want to have everyone counted so we have all the money and power our communities deserve," she said. "Ohio is at risk of losing a seat in Congress, and that is something we are all very concerned about. Ohio has formed a Complete Count Committee to build awareness. We are actively and aggressively reaching out to all nonprofits and elected officials to encourage participation."

She said Jefferson County's response to that call has been tremendous since she first held a meeting here last May.

"Nonprofits through your United Way and the Community Action Council really have stepped up," she said. King said a Census road tour will be making its way through the region in January and February.

Jordan said the local Census office will be handling the census for a 13-county area stretching from Jefferson County south to Washington County and west to include Muskingum, Morgan, Coshocton and Holmes counties.

Area residents will receive the simple Census form in the mail with a date to fill it out and return it to the Census Bureau. For those who don't fill it out, census takers will be contacting residents or knocking on their doors.

(Giannamore can be contacted at pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)