LEWISTON – Lewiston officials are gearing up to get an accurate count of the city’s population in the 2010 census, which is due to begin in more than a year.

The city is calling for the creation of a Complete Count Committee to work with the census. People interested in working with the group should e-mail Mayor Larry Gilbert at gilbertmayor@aol.com by Friday.

The census will be the first to accurately count Lewiston’s secondary migrant population, according to a statement from Gilbert’s office.

“Up to this point, these population numbers have largely been driven by estimates that do not meet the scientific rigors of bona fide survey work,” Gilbert said in the letter. “If this community is not prepared, a significant undercount of this population could occur resulting in significant federal and agency funding implications for many organizations in the community.”

Every 10 years, the federal government attempts to count every person in the country. Those numbers are used to apportion the 435 congressional seats that make up the U.S. House of Representatives. It also provides demographic, economic and social data for communities that helps determine city and school planning processes, zoning, jobs and other policy issues.

The U.S. Census Bureau is looking to hire field workers and interpreters for the 2010 census. Anyone interested in the positions should contact the Census Office at 1-866-861-2010.


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