STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Human and Social Needs
AGENDA DATE: September 25, 2019
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): All
DEPARTMENT: Office of Strategic Partnerships & Government Affairs
EXECUTIVE: Kimberly Bizor Tolbert
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SUBJECT
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Authorize an Interlocal Agreement with Dallas County to procure professional services for a Census 2020 Participation Initiative for the period September 25, 2019 through July 1, 2020 October 15, 2019 through September 30, 2020 - Not to exceed $1,000,000.00 - Financing: General Fund
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BACKGROUND
Texas Government Code, Chapter 791, authorizes local governments of the state to enter into contracts for governmental functions and services to increase their efficiency and effectiveness.
The United States Constitution requires that a Census count be conducted every ten years. The population count is then used to reapportion federal and state legislative districts, and to distribute billions in federal funds to states and local communities for schools, roads, housing, social services and much more. Private entities also rely on this data for key business decisions.
Texas receives an estimated $43 billion annually in federal funds based on United States Census Bureau data. Each uncounted person represents a loss of approximately $1,578. In Fiscal Year 2016, Texas received $59.4 billion based on Decennial Census Data, which is approximately $2,132 for every Texas resident. The City of Dallas (“City”) has over 200 Census tracts that are designated “hard to count” (“HTC”) because previous Census response rates are 73 percent or less. It is critical that all residents of Dallas are counted.
Over the past year, the City of Dallas has been hard at work on the Census 2020 outreach effort. The work City staff has completed includes developing a comprehensive strategic plan, mobilizing members of the City of Dallas Mayor’s Complete Count Committee (appointed by former Mayor Mike Rawlings with recommendations from the City Council), and laying the foundation for an awareness campaign, which is scheduled to be launched in the coming weeks.
City staff has also engaged with multiple civic organizations, business leaders, faith-based organizations, media outlets, government agencies at the local, state, and federal level, and others. The City of Dallas has been working with representatives from Dallas County (“County”) since July 2018, ensuring their participation in, and awareness of, the City’s efforts.
The purpose of this Interlocal Agreement is to establish a cooperative agreement whereby the City and County work together to most efficiently obtain a complete count of individuals in the City and County. The City and County can more efficiently utilize taxpayer funds by collaborating on contracting with an outside vendor, taking advantage of economies of scale.
Dallas County released a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) on September 3, 2019 to contract with a vendor to provide Census outreach on behalf of the entire County. Bids will be evaluated by City and County staff, and a contract is expected to be awarded by the County in November 2019. As part of the RFP, the vendor will be required to use the framework already developed by the City of Dallas as a launch pad for their efforts to ensure momentum continues on the progress the City has made.
The successful vendor will have four overarching tasks: (1) Census Campaign Strategy Management and Oversight; (2) Census Data - Analysis, Mapping, and Reporting; (3) Census Messaging and Marketing; and (4) Community-Based Engagement.
Additionally, the selected vendor must work closely and coordinate with the City of Dallas Mayor’s Complete Count Committee and share data, tools, and other materials. The vendor will evaluate the City’s Census outreach campaigns and other processes and provide feedback and a set of tools, templates, other materials that can be utilized for the 2020 Census. Strategies shall be deployed in tandem and in collaboration with the work already being done by the City of Dallas to reach specific HTC populations as well as implementing HTC efforts in other cities across Dallas County to successfully achieve a complete and thorough count.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
The Human and Social Needs Committee was briefed on the City of Dallas’s Census 2020 Strategy on March 18, 2019.
City Council was briefed on regarding this item on September 18, 2019.
FISCAL INFORMATION
General Fund - $1,000,000.00