Census count is critical to Blythewood, Fairfield County’s state and federal funding

Deadline to complete census is Sept. 30

BLYTHEWOOD/FAIRFIELD COUNTY – It is important that Blythewood  and Fairfield County residents submit their information for the 2020 census before Sept. 30, as that information will impact the town and county’s state and local funding, according to Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor and Blythewood Mayor Bryan Franklin, who also serves as the census coordinator for the Blythewood area.

To that end, Franklin is encouraging everyone to be counted.

“Both Blythewood and Fairfield County are lagging in numbers of residents who have submitted their information to the Census. Only 70 percent of Fairfield residents, 89 percent of Blythewood residents and 81 percent of Richland County residents have submitted their information for the Census. Towns and counties will lose federal and state dollars if their numbers. If they don’t get their fair share of federal and state dollars, they will lose funding for many services and programs.

Over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners and many others will use 2020 census data to make critical decisions as to how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are made to communities across the country,” Franklin said.

The census results will affect how much federal money is allocated to hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs and other critical programs and services including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and many others.

To complete the census, go to https://2020 census.gov. Deadline for completion is Sept. 30, 2020.

Contact us: (803) 767-5711 | P.O. Box 675, Blythewood, SC 29016 | [email protected]