The mayor of Paterson has put together a citizens committee to boost participation in the 2020 census.

The federally mandated count helps officials determine how much aid the city can receive.

Mayor Andrew Sayegh says that less than half of the city’s population participated in the last census count in 2010. The city’s population was just below the 150,000 threshold that is used as the determining factor to increase federal aid.

"One potential drawback is a question on the form that asks if an individual is a citizen which may dissuade individuals that are undocumented,” Sayegh says. “So that's why we're putting a great deal of emphasis on the fact that you don't have to answer the question, even though it's there, and don't get discouraged because of the question."

Paterson was not alone in its lackluster response to the 2010 census. Newark, Jersey City, East Orange and New Brunswick all had participation rates that were far below the state average. The final day to fill out the census form is April 1, 2020.