Stand up, be counted Nevada, officials plead

Friday, March 3, 2000 | 9:55 a.m.

The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce is hosting the official kick-off ceremony for Nevada Census 2000 at 1 p.m. Monday.

Federal, state and local officials will be on hand for the ceremony: Secretary of State Dean Heller; David A. Byerman, the U.S. Census Bureau's chief government liaison for Nevada; and Thomas Perrigo, chairman of the Southern Nevada Census 2000 committee.

The ceremony will be at the chamber's offices, 3720 Howard Hughes Parkway.

On March 13 door-to-door interviewers will begin gathering data from households in remote and sparsely settled areas. On March 13 the Census Bureau will begin delivery of questionnaires by regular mail.

"The faster you respond, the better it is for all of us," Helen Myers, Henderson census office manager, said.

The U.S. Constitution mandates a census every 10 years to determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. Additionally the census is needed to help communities receive federal funds for private sector and community planning purposes. Businesses large and small also use the census information for financial analysis and strategic planning.

"The importance of good participation in Census 2000 is critical to Nevada and its businesses," Pat Shalmy, president and general manager of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, said. "Census 2000 data affects the annual allocation of more than $185 billion in federal funds that can impact decisions made by state and local governments on new schools, hospitals, roads and community centers.

"A complete count also guarantees Nevada a new congressional seat in Washington, D.C., and a stronger voice for Southern Nevada in Carson City as a result of the redistricting process," he said.

According to the local census office, Nevada had one of the lowest participation rates in the country in the 1990 Census.

Over the past decade the Las Vegas metropolitan area has experienced a 55 percent population explosion.