The mayors of Jamestown and Valley City are participating in a duel to see which community gets a higher "self-response rate" in the upcoming census, according to Warren Abrahamson, media chair for the Jamestown Complete Count Committee.
The mayor of the community with the lower self-response rate must wear a cap promoting the other community at a televised City Council meeting.
A meeting kicking off the challenge will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the basement conference room of the Jamestown City Hall. Both mayors will make comments on the importance of the census and the challenge.
The Complete Count Committee is a volunteer committee established by local governments to increase awareness about the 2020 U.S. Census and encourage local residents to respond.
"Every person we fail to count will cost the state of North Dakota more than $19,000 over the next 10 years," said Kevin Iverson, manager of the Census Office of the North Dakota Department of Commerce. "This is money we need for roads, emergency services, health care services, school programs, etc."
