Complete Count Committee to attempt to reach all of Dade County
A census meeting took place on July 14 and 15 at the Dade Administrative Building to discuss the Complete Count Committee’s next steps in getting more citizens to fill out the 2020 Census.
Deputy County Clerk Carey Anderson, Alliance for Dade Publicity Chair Jane Dixon, Summer Kelly, Martha Baker, Kristin Barrett and Recce Fauscett were in attendance for the meeting. The group came up with eight different ideas to reach the people of Dade County.
The first idea was to conduct census sign-ups using the county’s Emergency Mobile Command Center and computers from the Dade County Public Library. The group said it wants to set up in Rising Fawn, Trenton, Wildwood, New Home, Davis, New Salem and West Brow as well as the three main grocery stores in the county, Ingles, Food City and Food Outlet.
Anderson said the group will also be present at the City of Trenton’s Touch a Truck and Backpack giveaway and the RFCOG Backpack giveaway on July 25.
Anderson said that reminders will be sent to fill out the census in envelopes for tax bills, water bills, phone bills and bank statements from CB&T and the Bank of Dade.
Another idea was to distribute flyers to the Tri-State Food Pantries in Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain, at the Wednesday meals at the library and place flyers in church bulletins.
The group also wants to push advertising with yard signs, billboards, banners on Interstate 59 and local radio and TV commercials.
Anderson said another option could be to partner with Dade County Schools by placing banners on school websites, having students create census commercials, using social media, texts and conducting an email campaign to parents.
Partnering with companies such as Integer, Vanguard and SLTC was also mentioned as a possibility.
Anderson said the group could also place a tent or table at the polls on Election Day on Aug. 11. However, the tables must be 150 feet away from the polling places.
The final proposition was to conduct an email and text campaign to spread the word to all county citizens to fill out the 2020 Census.