Posted Tuesday, August 11th, 2020
Special Focus on Boonton, Harding, Florham Park, and Parsippany
Morris County’s response to the 2020 Census count has been one of the strongest in the state, with Morris second only to Hunterdon County, by a fraction of a percentage point (74.3 to 74.0).
However, there are pockets of population across the county where Census response has been underwhelming, with an effort now underway to make sure residents in those towns understand the importance of being counted. (view the map)
The count is low in sections of Boonton, Harding, Florham Park, and Parsippany.
In addition, there are smaller segments of Census holdouts in Butler, Dover, Madison, Morristown, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Mount Arlington, Mt. Olive, Netcong, Rockaway Township, Wharton, and Victory Gardens
“We need to be fully counted, and that means all residents from all of our towns, so Morris County is not shortchanged in getting federal dollars for county programs over the next decade,” said Freeholder Director Deborah Smith. “Filling out the Census is safe, easy and very important, so please take a few minutes if you have not done it yet.”
“Not being fully counted has long-term negative ramifications on federal aid we will receive for housing, childcare, education, senior and disabled programs, and for transportation, and county road and bridge projects, among many others, added Freeholder Kathy DeFillippo, who is a member of the Morris County Complete Count Committee.
You can fill out the Census online. For those who have not responded, Census enumerators have started visiting homes in Morris County this week, and will visit through Sept 30.
Key Reasons to Get a Full Count:
Population Causes County to Miss Out on Federal COVID-19 Aid
Currently, Morris Count’s Census figures indicate the county has about 492,000 residents. That is just 8,000 short of the half-million mark, which would have made the county eligible for nearly $90 million in direct federal CARES Act aid from the federal government to help finance the county’s COVID-19 response.
Passaic and Camden counties, with populations of 501,826 and 506,343 — barely above the half-million mark — each are getting $88 million in direct federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds, while Morris County received no direct aid. Being below the 500,000 population mark could have resulted from an undercount in 2010.
To make sure Moris County gets a full Census count, the Board of Freeholders and community representatives from across the county are urging all county residents, from all communities, nationalities, religions, races, and ethnic groups, to complete the 2020 Census this Spring.
“This shows just how vitally important it is to get every Morris County resident counted. It makes a real difference, ” said Freeholder Tayfun Selen, who also is a member of the Morris County Complete Count Committee.
The county’s Census Committee has stressed three key points about the Census: Filling out the Census is safe, easy and important.
You can complete the Census even if you did not get one in the mail. You can fill it out online at https://my2020census.gov/
Have questions about the 2020 Census? Visit https://morriscountynj.gov/2020census/ or visit the following: NJ Census 2020 or U.S. Census 2020