The Rockmart Library will be a Census Question and Answer Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 19.

No appointment is needed to meet with Travis Bagwell, United States 2010 Census. He submitted a job application and received training prior to being assigned to work in Rockmart.

“I felt this would be a great opportunity,” he said. “I enjoy working with and meeting different people.”

Bagwell encourages local citizens to fill out and return the short form they should have received in the mail. “These are printed in different languages and I am here to help people that may have difficulty understanding the 10 questions asked in the 2010 Census,” he said.

While in Rockmart, he will focus on helping people understand the importance of being counted. He will also explain that information he receives is confidential and it is illegal to share it with any other person.

Census jobs are still available and positions need to be filled, according to Joan Larroie, recruiting assistant. She was also at the library during a test of applicants.

“Jobs are still available in Polk, Haralson, Paulding and Floyd counties,” she said.

Bagwell pointed out that one of the reasons to be counted in 2010 is due to the fact that the federal government can annually allocate more than $400 billion to states and communities based, in part, on census data. Estimates are that Polk would receive about $1,400 annually for each person responding to this year’s event.

These funds can be used in building of new roads, hospitals, child-care, senior citizen and job-training centers, emergency management and other needed services.

The results of this annual count will also determine the number of seats each state receives in the United States House of Representatives starting with the 2012 elections. Consequently, this will also affect the number of votes that states receive in the Electoral College for the 2012 presidential election.

Census forms were scheduled for mailing March 15-17.

From April 1 -3, totals from the response to mailed forms will be disseminated to local communities. A neighborhood blitz is planned for April 10. Information will also be given to local volunteers regarding areas with low response rates.

On April 14, a second mailout of forms will be sent to people who did not respond to the first.

From May 1 to mid July, workers will begin knocking on doors for a final effort to obtain information from those not responding to previous maillots and/or other events.

The final count is scheduled to be in the office of Governor Sonny Perdue by Dec. 31, 2010.