Arkansas-Side Wins Battle of the Border Census Challenge

On Tuesday, July 28, Texarkana Mayor, Bob Bruggeman and Texarkana, Arkansas Mayor, Allen Brown met at the state line in front of the Federal courthouse and announced a friendly challenge to see which part of the twin city would get the higher percentage of participation in the 2020 Census over the past month.

According to a press release, Mayor Brown and Texarkana, Arkansas finished the challenge with a 57.8 percent response rate, and Mayor Bruggeman and Texarkana, Texas finished at 57.2 percent. Consequently, Mayor Bruggeman will sport his Arkansas Razorback gear to celebrate Arkansas’ win.

Even though the challenge is over, and the response rate has increased, we are still very far from where we need to be. Forty-three (43) percent of Texarkana has not yet responded to the census. Our population count will determine the amount of federal funding Texarkana receives over the next 10 years, and an undercount would mean less money for health care, education, school nutrition, as well as other local needs like fire departments, roads, and housing. With the unknown long-term impact of the pandemic and high unemployment, it is important that we get our fair share of federal funds.

The last day to respond is September 30^th, so please help your community by taking a few minutes to complete the Census. This is an easy way we all can have an impact on Texarkana and help to shape its future.

Visit my2020census.gov to fill out the form online.