The National Association of Towns and Townships filed comments opposing the U.S. Census Bureau’s proposed “usual residence” test on behalf of its members, which include PSATS and its member townships. PSATS Executive Director David Sanko currently serves as NATaT President. 

NATaT urged the Census Bureau to withdraw the January 3 to April 1 “usual residence” test in the proposal and to retain the 2020 standard of counting people where they live and sleep most of the time. This proposed change would count Pennsylvania residents who spend part of the year in southern states as residents of their winter residence, not their permanent Pennsylvania residence. NATaT argues that the winter counting window measures where people spend the winter, not where they live. Of all the changes in the proposal, this one most directly and predictably harms the communities NATaT represents, including those in Pennsylvania, and could have enormous impacts on funding for local governments and legislative representation, which continue to provide services to those who winter elsewhere. Click here to read NATaT’s comments.