City offers Maricopa residents a money-making opportunity

Worried about those holiday bills that are bound to pile up soon? Have a husband or relative who could watch the kids for a few hours on evenings or weekends? Want to earn some extra money? Then the City of Maricopa has a great opportunity for you.

The city is funding a mid-decade census to be conducted by the US Census Bureau. Unless a special census is conducted, the 2000 census count is used. Maricopa’s current state of hyper growth is definitely not indicated in the numbers gathered in 2000. Up-to-date population information is beneficial to all residents since it determines the allocation of state funds, as well as the improved ability to plan for schools and transportation.

Marian Ellexson, a US Census Bureau senior field representative, will be in Maricopa for the next few weeks to test and train enumerators.

In order to determine how many people actually live within the city limits, Maricopa must recruit approximately 120 census workers (enumerators) who are willing to work between 20 and 40 hours per week between January 3 and February 15, 2006.

Training sessions will be held on January 3 through January 5, 2006, with enumeration beginning that weekend. Workers, who do NOT need to be Maricopa residents, will also be paid for the time spent training in the use of census forms, interviewing techniques and map reading.

Enumerators visit households and collect a few facts such as the name and age of each household occupant. Information collected is confidential, and, since not all residents are home during the day, some visits may have to be made in the evenings and on weekends.

A full-time census worker, 40 hours per week, could anticipate visiting 200 to 250 homes. Crew leaders and their assistants will be full-time positions.

In order to become an enumerator, you must be at least 18 years of age and a United States citizen, have a vehicle for personal transportation and be able to attend the training sessions and work from January 3 through February 15, 2006.

Additionally, you must pass a test of basic skills and general knowledge and provide two forms of identification, either an expired or current passport OR a driver’s license and social security card. If accepted, workers will be fingerprinted and must pass the FBI check.

Testing, which takes under two hours, will be scheduled over the coming weeks. The next testing session will be Wednesday, November 9, from 10 a.m.- noon and again from 1- 3 p.m., at the Fire District’s meeting hall, directly across from City Hall off John Wayne Parkway.

As a census enumerator, you will be earning $10 per hour and will receive a mileage allowance of $ 0.485 per mile. Your time will be flexible, and you can work either part time or full time.

Do you have some time to devote to earning money for yourself while helping Maricopa determine its current population? The city is offering a great money-making opportunity. If you are interested, contact Census Coordinator Paul Jepson by email, with your name, address and contact information, or at (520) 568-9098, Ext. 242.