Aurora Initiates Special Census to Address Undercounting Concerns
Aurora, Illinois, is set to begin a special census next month after multiple delays. The initiative aims to address perceived undercounting from the 2020 decennial census, which reported a population decrease from 197,000 in 2010 to around 180,000. City officials believe this undercount is costing Aurora approximately $4.3 million annually in lost revenue. The special census will focus on areas with recent residential development, and residents will receive letters with instructions to respond online. Door-to-door counting will commence in September for those who do not respond online. Aurora's Chief of Staff, Shannon Cameron, emphasized the importance of responding online to save city resources. The census data, which is legally protected and used for statistical purposes only, will not include citizenship questions. Aurora Mayor John Laesch expressed optimism about the effort but remains concerned about the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents potentially impacting participation. 
