Full Proclamation:
WHEREAS, every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau is required by the U.S. Constitution to conduct a count of every person living in our country and everyone deserves to be counted in the Census, no matter their age, race, zip code, language, nor citizenship status; and
WHEREAS, it is safe to fill out the Census, the information collected is confidential and protected by law and cannot be shared with landlords, law enforcement or any other government agency including Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
WHEREAS, the 2020 Census is a historic opportunity for us to shape our future and learn about the needs of our growing and changing community; and
WHEREAS, Census data will guide the distribution of $8.7 billion in federal funding to over 313,000 residents across the City of Saint Paul, that is $28,000 per person over the next ten years; and
WHEREAS, Census data will help us address our growing housing needs and decide where we locate our schools, childcare centers, roads and public transportation, grocery stores and local businesses, hospitals and other facilities; and
WHEREAS, Census data will determine how many seats Minnesota will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and is necessary for accurate and fair redistricting of our state legislative seats, county board, and city council; and
WHEREAS, we are at risk of losing a congressional district and billions of dollars for critical services in our community if there is an undercount of the Frogtown, North End, and East Side neighborhoods and of young children, renters, people of color, indigenous persons, immigrants, refugees, non-English speakers, low-income families, undocumented and mixed status families, and highly mobile and homeless families across the City.
Now, Therefore, I, Melvin Carter, Mayor of the City of Saint Paul, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, April 1, 2020, to be:
Census Day in the City of Saint Paul.
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Saint Paul to be affixed this First Day of April in the Year Two Thousand Twenty.
Melvin Carter, Mayor