By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

EAST SPENCER — Town officials say they will be hitting the streets to spread the word about the 2020 Census because its citizens rank in the bottom of response rates, said Mayor Barbara Mallett.

Mallett said the town receives once-a-month updates and the town has consistently had low reporting totals for complete census forms. A website created by the Census with response rates echo that trend.

She said town officials will go door-to-door in town to ensure each resident receives a flyer about the importance of completing the census.

As of Friday, East Spencer’s response rate was 20.4%. Slightly ahead was the town of Faith, at 29.7%.

Landis has the highest report rate of 63.8%. It is followed by China Grove, with 60.5%. Other municipal response rates include Rockwell, 57%; Kannapolis, 56.5%; Spencer5 56.3%; Salisbury, 56.2% and Granite Quarry, 52.2%.

Mallett said, with the help of the Rowan County Census Committee, East Spencer has been able to create flyers written in English and Spanish. She said board members and volunteers will disperse the flyers. Mallett said they are mindful of concerns regarding the coronavirus and will be masked and wearing gloves.

Mallett said the goal is to “encourage our citizens we need to be counted.”

She said it’s important for residents to know that completing the census is important. Reasons to do so include determining possible funding for housing and roads as well as money for the Essie Mae Foxx Charter School. Census data also informs how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for health clinics, disaster recovery initiatives and other critical programs and services for the next 10 years.

“Our Hispanic population has grown, and we need them to know they need to be counted,” Mallett said.

Mallett said the board is asking the citizens to fill out the census forms either online, by phone or via mail.

For more information about the census visit www.2020census.gov.