Hampton, Newport News mayors promote census with seafood bet
Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck and Newport News Mayor McKinley Price pledged to swap shellfish from their respective cities based on the results of the 2020 census.
In a lighthearted video that encouraged residents of each city to respond to the census, Tuck wagered a dozen Hampton crabs that his city would have a higher percentage of its residents respond. Price bet a dozen James River oysters that Newport News would fare better.
While a lucrative meal for any seafood lover, crabs and oysters are cheap eats compared to the financial implications of the census.
Price said a resident not responding to the census equates to a loss of $2,000 per year until the next census in 2030. “Mayor Tuck and I are committed to working together to ensure our cities are completely counted, so we have the funding and resources we need for the next decade,” Price said.
At a Newport News work session in February, Brian Pierce, a senior planner in Newport News, said if Newport News’ response numbers follow the trend of the past two censuses, that could amount to missing out on up to $100 million in potential federal and grant funding, according to the census data.
Tuck noted that the cities each contain many shortterm residents, such as military members and their families and college students, but they all count for the census.
A news release from the cities stated census responses are below pace across the country, noting that kickoff campaigns coincided with many of the precautions taken because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many events and efforts had to be canceled, as well as some old-school methods of promoting the census, such as door-knocking.
As of May 25, Hampton’s self-response rate is 62.7% and Newport News’ is 60.6%.
In 2000, 75% of Hampton residents responded; 72% did in Newport News. In 2010, Hampton had a 73% response rate and Newport News 72% Those figures put the cities near the bottom in Virginia in terms of response rate, according to a presentation delivered to Newport News City Council in February.
Pierce pointed out several census tracts in Newport News have less than a third of residents respond.
He said staff was specially targeting those communities. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau plans to place staff in communities in late summer to follow-up with residents who have not yet responded.
Responding to the census typically takes just a few minutes, and the information provided is only used for statistics and will not be used to retaliate against the responder, the census website states. It’s available in 59 languages.
To respond, visit my2020Census.gov, call 1-844-330-2020, or return the census envelope that came in the mail. To learn more about the census, Newport News residents can call 757-933-2311 and Hampton residents can contact 757-727-8311.
Josh Reyes, 757-247-4692, joreyes@dailypress.com