Friday is the last day to participate in the 2010 Census, a massive, nationwide undertaking that determines the allocation of billions in federal funding.

Local government officials are urging residents to be counted, saying hundreds of thousands of federal dollars are at stake for local governments.

"We're making a plea that everyone understand the importance of this" said Ken Joiner, administrator for the County Commission.

The data taken from the 2010 Census will determine the appropriation of more than $400 billion a year in federal funds.

“There are so many different revenue sources that come to state and local governments because of the census,” Joiner said.

Hospitals, schools, emergency services and road projects all depend on the U. S. Census Bureau’s population estimates for funding. Census data also determines the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Calhoun County Commission passed a resolution Thursday asking residents to contact the Census Bureau if they have not yet completed the questionnaire.

Joiner said estimates vary as to the cost of low completion rates of the census. However, each person who does not fill out the 2010 Census questionnaire costs his or her local government thousands of dollars, he said.

“The municipality where they live will suffer if they do not fill it out,” he said.

Seventy-two percent of U.S. households that received the 2010 Census questionnaire returned them, the same rate as the 2000 Census. Alabama’s rate by mail is 70 percent this year.

While Calhoun County is at 73 percent, some cities like Jacksonville and Anniston are below that amount, with 65 and 69 percent respectively.

Jacksonville experienced a decrease in its population, from 10,283 to 8,404, between the 1990 Census and the 2000 Census. Jacksonville City Councilman Derek Raulerson said local officials were frustrated because the decrease oc-curred during a time of unprecedented growth in the city.

Because of the change in estimated population, Jacksonville officials formed a committee this year to raise public awareness about the importance of the 2010 Census. Raulerson, who served on the committee, said the group bought newspaper advertisements and gave out T-shirts that explained how census data affects government funding.

Raulerson said with the amount of work by the census committee, he was surprised to hear Jacksonville is only at a 65 percent participation rate.

He added, given his personal experiences with representatives from the Census Bureau, he is surprised the rate is not much higher.

“I expected the population [in Jacksonville] to be at least 200,000 by the number of times we've been contacted,” he said.

The deadline to answer the 2010 Census questionnaire is July 30. Residents who have not yet been counted may contact the Census Bureau at 1-866-872-6868.