Dickinson Mayor Scott Decker provided the State of the City on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in which he stopped just shy of declaring participation in the 2020 census as the most important event for Dickinson in the coming months.
The State of the City luncheon, organized by the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce, kicked off with an address by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as community members packed Dickinson State University’s Henry Biesiot Activities Center.
The importance of the census, according to Decker, was evident when looking at the financial figures: $1.45 billion in federal funds were allocated to programs in North Dakota based upon resident count from census 2010 and subsequent annual population estimates. These programs include Medicaid, highway construction, Head Start, foster care, the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program, low income energy assistance, special education and other programs. For every citizen that isn't registered in the census, the state loses $19,100 in funds that come from the federal government based on population.