Cities across Georgia are getting the word out about the 2010 Census and encouraging residents to be counted. The 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things like hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, emergency services and bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects. The data collected by the census also help determine the number of seats Georgia has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

During the Christmas season, the city of Montezuma urged residents to “give the gift of a complete count,” and also presented an exhibit on Macon County “Through the Eyes of the Censuses Past” at the Historical Museum.

Metter Mayor Billy Trapnell, who serves on the state’s Complete County Committee along with Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd, said cities need to be encouraging full participation in the census.

“It’s a simple process, with only 10 questions that have to be answered, but the data is so vital to all our communities,” he said. “This information is the determining factor for so many programs and funding we rely on. We need to ensure that everyone in our community is counted.”

The Georgia Census Complete Count Committee has launched a comprehensive Census 2010 website at www.census.georgia.gov, and invites all local Complete Count Committees to visit the Local Committees page and the state committee who you are and what you’re doing.

For further information, contact the Georgia CCC at census2010@dca.ga.gov, or call 404-679-3147.