Los Fresnos holds Census drive

Updated: October 8, 2020

***Melissa Rodriguez, an employee with Los Fresnos Building Department, instructs people where to go during the drive held Saturday, Sept. 26.*** Photo: Tony Vindell / LFN

By TONY VINDELL
LFN

In another attempt to motivate more people to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census forms, the City of Los Fresnos held a drive where area residents stopped by and were given BBQ chicken plates and census memorabilia.

The event was held from 4:30 to 6:30 Saturday, Sept. 26, outside the Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium.

It was a joint effort by a grocery store, the city, the local school district and the Cameron County Clerk’s Office.

Census workers assisted people with filling the forms. After that, people were instructed to stop by one of three tents where others were handing out plates of BBQ chicken leg quarters, rice and beans.

Some 350 plates were served to people riding in more than 120 vehicles during the drive-thru event that officials hoped would push the response rate.

Sylvia Garza-Perez, the county‘s clerk, said they are hoping to pass last years’ rate of about 60 percent.

The county’s response rate was at 52 percent as of Monday, Sept. 28.
Two other drives were held in Cameron County last week.

Garza-Perez, who heads a county census committee, said they welcomed the latest announcement that extended the census deadline to Oct. 31 but the Commerce Department has said the new deadline is Oct. 5.

Oct. 31 was the original deadline but the Trump administration moved it back to the last day of September.

The more people that fill out the census form the more funding counties and cities get from the government.

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