City Council approved Nov. 20 the second and final installment of a contract with Lopez Negrete Communications for an outreach campaign that now totals over $1.5 million.
The goal, Mayor Sylvester Turner said, is to get as many residents counted possible. A lower-than-expected population count means the city risks missing out on up to $1,500 per year until 2030 in federal funding per uncounted resident, he told council members when the first half of the contact was approved in July.
The process, which begins in April, will be administered digitally for the first time according to the 2020 Census Operational Plan. A move to digital response will make replying to the survey easier for some, but harder for those with little access to internet, District H Council Member Karla Cisneros said during a discussion on the topic in July.
The decision has been a topic of debate among council members in the past, with some questioning the expected return on investment. City Council approved the first half of the contract in July.
