PEORIA–Citing the widespread effect it will have on funding for everything from infrastructure projects to school funding, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) urged residents to take time to complete the census Friday.

“In order for our communities to receive the crucial federal funding we rely on, we must make sure every single person is accounted for,” Koehler said. “If the only people responding are in the middle and upper class, that’s where the funding is going to go. We need to make sure those who live in communities that may be struggling are represented fairly. I urge everyone to take part in this process so we have an accurate census count and can give our communities a much-needed boost from adequate federal funding.”

The census is safe, secure and confidential. A letter residents should have received in the mail contains their household’s Census ID number, which is used when filling out the census online at my2020census.gov.

Responses will help each community — from influencing highway planning to determining how money is distributed to public school programs. By filling out the census, residents help ensure their communities get the resources they need.