To the Editor:

Exceeding our current 1,727 residents is the village’s goal as we get ready to get a full count of everyone during the 2020 United States Census. Although the census is a national event, in order for it to be successful, it has to be conducted at the local level.

Mayor Kerry Dineen has asked me to help coordinate efforts within the community to motivate people to respond to the 2020 census. She has appointed Trustee Nick Fahrenkopf as board liaison to this effort.

As most readers will be aware, the census has been conducted every 10 years since the founding of our nation, as required by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.  It asks a small number of basic questions about how many people live in a household, and should take most people no more than 20 minutes to complete.

Having that information about who lives where in the United States allows the federal, state, and local governments to determine what area will receive the most representation and financial assistance. The more people we have, the more represented and better compensated we are. It’s that simple.

In 2010, when I was the elected mayor, the village count was 17 people fewer than in the 2000 census.  This population decline resulted in a $300,000 loss over the ensuing decade.

These are “lost” funds that the village would have otherwise received from Albany County tax fund distributions, which are apportioned based on population. Federal funding for municipalities is also driven by the census. Receiving those funds helps keep taxes low, so it is critically important that everyone be counted.

Work on the 2020 census began locally last year. The village provided the federal government with information to identify all addresses where people could live in our community. In turn, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted “address canvassing,” so it can reach out to as many people as possible in 2020. 

Beginning in January of this year, the U.S. Census Bureau started opening 248 local census offices across the country. These offices support and manage the census takers who conduct the census.

Mr. Bob Scardamalia, a representative of the New York Regional Census Center, will visit Altamont and provide an update to the community at the Nov. 19 village board meeting. I encourage everyone to attend to get the latest updates and to have an opportunity to ask questions.

The 2020 census will be done differently than in the past, creating new challenges for communities like Altamont. People will be asked first to complete the census form online or by telephone, rather than depend solely on paper questionnaires and in-person interviews as in the past.

There will be traditional paper forms that can be submitted as well, but the easiest and fastest way to participate is by internet or telephone. For those who don't complete the census by one of those three ways, a census worker will knock on their door to get answers for the form.

When you respond by any of these methods, be sure to use your current address as of April 1, 2020.

It’s estimated that 95 percent of households will receive their census invitation in the mail. Altamont residents who receive their mail at a post-office box may not get an invitation to participate in the census because invitations will be mailed only to physical addresses.

Altamont’s post office has committed to placing census invitations in the proper post office box if postal workers recognize the name — rather than returning them.

In the early summer, after consulting with Mayor Dineen, I met with various groups within the community, including the director of the Altamont Free Library, members of Altamont Community Tradition, and the postmaster. Everyone has agreed to work to inspire participation in the census.

The Altamont Public Library plans to provide personal assistance as well as extra computer stations for the public to use to complete the census questionnaire and will be providing periodic updates to its customers throughout the coming months, as I will be doing.

On Jan. 1, 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau begins counting the population in remote Alaska. On April 1, 2020, Census Day is observed nationwide.

By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 census. In the month of April 2020, census takers will begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people. Census takers will also begin conducting quality check interviews to help ensure an accurate count.

The initial mailings to households will be sent in the period of March 12 to 20, 2020. For households that do not complete the census forms after the first mailing, census workers will make multiple attempts to contact you by mail, phone, and finally visiting your home. In May, 2020, the census bureau will have begun visiting addresses that haven’t responded.

I know that everyone reading this loves our village, and wants it to thrive. Responding to the census promptly and completely is an easy way to show your love for our community, and to help improve it.  Please help us show the world that Altamont counts!

If you have any questions, please feel free to write the Altamont village clerk at or call 518-861-8554, ext. 10. You may also contact Altamont Free Library Director Joe Burke at or call him at 518-861-7239. Information can also be found on the village website, www.AltamontVillage.org.  

Jim Gaughan

Altamont

Editor’s note: James Gaughan was Altamont’s mayor from 2005 to 2017.