On Tuesday, Mayor Jim Kenney announced the creation of a city office to handle Philadelphia’s “efforts to ensure a complete and accurate census in 2020.”

The formation of the Philly Counts 2020 Office officially launched this goal, one which is critical given the $675 billion in federal funding at stake, and Pennsylvania’s representation in Congress - and by extension, the state’s electoral votes.

“A complete and accurate count will ensure that Philadelphia receives its fair share of funds for federal supports and services and appropriate congressional representation - both of which are critical to the health and prosperity of our city,” Kenney said in a press release.

“We cannot afford an under count, so I encourage all residents to get involved and learn more about what they can do to ensure that all Philadelphians participate,” he added.

Among the programs whose funding will be affected by the census data are Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the National School Lunch Program.

Stephanie Reid, the city’s former Chief Service Officer, will head the office. In this new role, Reid is charged with raising awareness about the census, educating Philadelphians on how to participate, and providing support for doing so, among other duties.

The mayor also created the Complete Count Committee, a volunteer advisory group that will “develop strategies to support key aspects of the census effort.”

This committee is comprised of an array of subcommittees as well, among them the Immigrant & Limited English Proficient subcommittee, the Latino subcommittee and the Nonprofit, Community, & Civic subcommittee.

“The constitutional mandate to count all people is essential to our democracy,” Reid said in the city’s press release.

“I look forward to working with the Complete Count Committee, our Federal partners at the U.S. Census Bureau, and volunteers from across Philadelphia to ensure that we achieve a complete and accurate count of every person in 2020,” she continued.

The 2020 Census questionnaires will ultimately be due on April 1, 2020.

For more information about the upcoming census, and to apply to serve on a subcommittee, click here.

In addition, if interested in a job surrounding 2020 Census efforts, follow this link here.