Census Bureau to canvass post this month

FORT MEADE, Md. - With the stroke of a pen, Fort Meade threw its support to an effort that could impact the development of local roads and other infrastructure projects, the flow of tax dollars and even the makeup of the U.S. Congress.

As a handful of post leaders looked on, Installation Commander Col. Daniel L. Thomas signed an agreement last week promising the installation's support of the 2010 federal census.

Census workers will canvass the installation starting around April 23, said Franklin Jackson Jr., partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau who attended the signing on March 24 at garrison headquarters. The process should take two to three months.

Census Bureau workers will attempt to determine how much the post has changed since the last census was completed in 2000. They will be on the lookout for how many homes are on the installation.

Each household should receive a survey between February and March of next year. The census will ask questions such as the number of people in the family and their income.

While military members of the Fort Meade community may hail from as far away as Indiana or Alaska, their responses to the survey are still needed, said Jackson.

"You're counted where you sleep at night," he said.

For service members, population and income figures can impact the size of the militaryA,A1s housing stipend. While not a major factor in figuring out the military's Basic Allowance for Housing, the information can have a subtle impact on how the Department of Defense determines the subsidy.

"We use a a census map when we figure out the BAH," said Aimee Stafford, community development and operations specialist with the Fort Meade Housing Division.

To assist with Fort Meade's involvement with the census effort, the installation has established a special committee, made up of post officials, to insure that each household returns the survey promptly, said Bernie Cullen, director of Human Resources and committee chair.

Beyond Fort Meade's gates, the census has wide-ranging implications. For instance, each state's allotment of seats in the House of Representatives is determined by population. Businesses may use the information to help figure out where to sell their products or place their headquarters. Figures on population change can also be used to argue for development and infrastructure programs, Jackson said.

"Census data determines where roads go, where hospitals go," he said. "It touches you in ways you never imagine."