Jenkins County Commission Chairman James Henry, seated, signs a proclamation partnering with the Georgia Complete Count Committee. Standing is, from left, Commissioners Tommy Lane, Domingo Green and Floyd Chance. (Photo contributed) Jenkins County recently signed a proclamation partnering with the Georgia Complete Count Committee (GCCC) to achieve a complete and accurate count of the Georgia population in 2010. The partnership is part of a larger effort by the GCCC to increase participation in the 2010 Census.

The partnership will involve sharing important information about the census in Jenkins County and encouraging people to complete and mail back their 2010 Census forms. Every year, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. Leaders use this data to guide planning decisions on where to build new roads, hospitals, childcare and senior centers, schools and more. Data also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Census forms were delivered or mailed to households in March. Households should complete and mail back their forms upon receipt. Census workers will visit households that do not return forms to take a count in person.

Information shared with the Census Bureau is completely confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.