Great Falls city leaders are already gearing up for the 2020 census, but the effort to get residents to participate has taken on a new urgency this year.

City Commissioner Owen Robinson and County Commissioner Jim Lawson are Co-Chairs on the Great Falls Census Committee to make sure everyone gets accounted for, so Montana can take home accurate federal funding.

“We’re thinking that for every person that’s not counted in Montana, Montana will lose $1200 to $1,500 a year, and that would be over a 10 year period because the next census isn’t until 2030,” said Robinson.