BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON - With millions of dollars in federal and state funds riding on an accurate demographic count, Butler County has begun planning for the 2000 Census.
Cynthia King, a U.S. Census Bureau partnership specialist for southern Ohio, asked the county commissioners Monday to form a Complete Count Committee to encourage residents to complete census forms.
The commissioners readily agreed to work with Ms. King in forming such a committee.
Need to have accurate count "It's an excellent idea," Commissioner Courtney Combs said. "It's important that we get an accurate census count."
Census population counts determine levels of federal and state funding in areas such as housing assistance, schools, road construction, employment services, programs for the elderly and hospital services. Butler, one of Ohio's fastest-growing counties, has jumped from 291,000 residents in 1990 to an estimated 331,000 this year, a 12 percent increase.
Since 1970, the county's population has increased by about 100,000.
Ms. King, who is asking other counties and communities in southern Ohio to form Complete County Committees, said the committee can be crucial in helping the Census Bureau obtain accurate population counts.
The committee, which has no size limit, should be made up of representatives from governments, schools, churches and other segments of society, she said.
It's especially important for the county to use schools in the census process, Ms. King said.
"Students can learn about the census in school and then go home and remind their parents to fill out the census forms," she said. The county will begin forming its committee in January. Mike Juengling, county planning director, will be Butler's liaison with the Census Bureau.
