Ontario leaders and Census Bureau urge residents to be counted, warn of large funding losses from undercount

A U.S. Census Bureau coordinator told the Ontario City Council that an undercount in the last decennial left the city about 50,000 people uncounted and that counting an additional 25,000 residents this decade could translate to roughly $50 million a year in federal funding for Ontario. The coordinator offered bureau assistance, including mobile units and outreach support, and recommended large community events to boost participation.

Tom Burseyaga, a member of the local census committee, urged residents to take advantage of new online response options and urged the city’s Latino community in particular to participate, saying participation determines funding for highway planning, education grants, school lunches, downtown revitalization and housing programs. “If we want to see federal funding come to the city of Ontario to improve our city, we need to participate in this census in 2020,” Burseyaga said.

The Census Bureau representative said Ontario was undercounted by about 50,000 in the last decennial and that if half of that gap—about 25,000 people—were counted in this census, the city could receive roughly $50 million a year (about $500 million over 10 years). The coordinator offered the bureau’s resources for outreach and suggested partnering on large events and use of mobile units to reach hard-to-count populations.

Councilmember Valencia reminded residents that Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects census responses and urged community members, including those who are undocumented, to be counted. “Title 13 is a law that assists any individual that thinks that any of this information ... will fall in the wrong hands,” Valencia said, adding that the law is intended to ensure confidentiality and encourage participation.

The council received the presentations and no formal action or vote was taken. City staff and community groups present, including the Ontario Hispanic Chamber and the Greater Ontario Business Council, said they would coordinate outreach efforts with the Census Bureau in the coming weeks.