Brentwood Hypes the Census
Brentwood Mayor Xzavier Montgomery-Wright wants all the town’s residents to be counted in the upcoming 2010 Census.
“We are in a crucial time right now, we are not going to be left out,” said Montgomery-Wright during a gathering on Jan 23 at city hall. “We will not be undercounted.”
The Census is important because it affects how some $400 billion a year in federal and state funding is disbursed to localities for neighborhood improvement, public health, education and transportation, among other concerns. Additionally, the Census affects representation in the House of Representatives and is used to define legislative and school districts, as well as other functions of government.
State Senator David C. Harrington (D-47 District) was also on hand to emphasize the importance of the public’s participation in the population count.
“Prince George’s County only gets $6 million in community development block grant money,” Harrington said. “We are underserved and undercounted.”
Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-10 District) added “If we don’t get counted we don’t get our fair share of support for transportation, police and law enforcement, and joint efforts between federal, state and local governments,” he said. “We don’t want our communities to get left behind, and it is also essential to be counted at the ballot box.”
--PGS Staff
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