File photo
File photo
Anderson County appears to be one of the state's leaders with a particularly high 2020 Census completion rate.
According to the Palestine Herald-Press, close to 40% of the county’s residents filled out the Census, with Palestine reporting a 47.2% response rate that tops the state average of 45.4%.
Palestine Mayor Steve Presley wants his city to be first.
“[The Census] helps our city get additional benefits, and divides those benefits more fairly. We want to ensure we get everything we need,” Presley told the Herald-Press.
The high responses are attributed in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prompted governments to issue stay-at-home orders.
“Would you rather go through a little trouble now or pay more taxes later?” the mayor asked.
The Census is conducted every 10 years to determine the distribution of federal funding and state representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and Electoral College.
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