By Antonia Muskat | Intern
Lake Powell Chronicle

PAGE – After a full decade, the 2020 Census is up and running. Many people will be knocking at doors or answering questionnaires.

The census provides critical information that many different careers will be using. The census will also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 2020 census website (2020census.gov) helps to give answers for any questions someone might need. For example, if you want to know whether someone is a census taker, make sure they have a valid ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. The website also suggests what the other jobs of the census workers might be in their community, such as dropping off material, conducting quality checks, and collecting responses.

Tim Suan, the community and economic development director, mentioned some important facts. “The census is very important to our country and especially in a town like this, we need everyone to respond,” he said, adding that there are many good outcomes from the census and one of the biggest ones is funding.

Suan said the census helps the community of Page by funding local needs. In the case that not everyone responds to the questionnaires, then certain programs or functions would be under-funded. He also said that he thinks the outcome for the census this year in Page will be adequate.

“I don’t feel that the power plant shutting down is going to have a lot of emphasis on the 2020 census,” Suan said.

A local in Page who has lived here around 35 years has her own opinions on the 2020 census. “I think the census is very important to the U.S. so that we can properly distribute services,” said Michele Muskat, who believes it’s important so that people can understand the population of places and understand who is here.

Muskat responded positively that she will answer questions if she is asked.

“I know where we live is especially difficult,” she said. “I think that community workers are an integral part of the census because people have a habit of distrust of strangers and will be more comfortable with people they know.”

Muskat said she doesn’t know what the outcome of the census for Page will be, adding that, “Page may experience the dropping of members because of the plant. However, there’s no shortage of children.”

Muskat said she’s hoping they will be able to account for the people living out on the nearby Navajo Nation because Native families want and need to utilize the goods and services in Page to accommodate them appropriately.

If someone is looking for a job with the census, visit the census website.

“The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country to assist with the 2020 Census count,” according to the census website.