With self-response rates for Danville and Vermilion County being much lower than they were 10 years ago, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is urging everyone to make sure their communities are properly funded.
Stratton spoke Thursday morning with other local leaders at the Danville Public Library. She says the census count is directly connected to many areas of funding for the community.
“It’s funding for roads and transportation, lunch programs for our schools, health care subsidies for our veterans, summer jobs for our kids and to support neighborhood business, and so much more,” Stratton said.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. noted how large the 15th Congressional District is, and says Danville should work to stop it from having less of a voice in Congress.
“As many of you know, we are right on the verge, unfortunately,” he explained. “In 2010, we were combined with 32 other counties, and we have one representative that is covering that entire area. That’s tough for us.”
The statewide census director, Marishonta Wilkerson, says the response rate in Danville is currently at 60.6 percent and Vermilion County’s is 65.6 percent. In 2010, that was 68.7 percent for Danville and 70.2 percent for the county. The Census deadline is next Wednesday, September 30th.
