CENSUS BUREAU LOOKS FOR HELP COUNTING HEADS; MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE NEEDED FOR VENTURA COUNTY SURVEY.

Byline: Don Holland Daily News Staff Writer

The U.S. Census Bureau will soon be making its list and checking it twice and is now looking to hire more than 200 Ventura County workers to help out.

Although Census 2000, the national head count that happens every decade, is still a year away, census officials need to confirm maps and lists of addresses that will be used in next year's mail-in census questionnaire.

Ventura County's population growth is forcing the Census Bureau to hire up to 200 temporary field workers, who will check and prepare address lists for every residence in the county. The figure is almost twice what officials initially planned. The bureau also plans to hire a dozen or more field supervisors.

``We have a great challenge in Ventura County,'' said Mila Gonzaga, assistant manager for field operations for the U.S. Census Bureau's Santa Maria office. ``We are prepared for it, though. We will double the number of canvassers because of the number of residents we think there are (in Ventura County).''

The 1990 census recorded 669,000 residents living in 227,584 dwellings in Ventura County, and officials say they expect those numbers to rise substantially in the next census. An estimated 10 percent of the population is overlooked during census counts, which are done primarily by mail surveys.

``They will have a map with addresses, and they will systematically check them by deleting or adding what they see on the actual site,'' Gonzaga said.

The constitutionally mandated tally is more than an exercise in bureaucratic bean counting. It influences everything from representation in Congress to school funding.

``If we don't get an accurate count, (local government agencies) don't get the amount of federal funds they are due,'' Gonzaga said. ``That's why it's really important we get an accurate count.''

Census officials have appointed Lori Leftenant as the Ventura County field operations supervisor. Leftenant is gearing up to train the new hires, who are expected to hit the streets in March and April.

Block canvassers will be paid $10 per hour, while crew supervisors will receive $11.50. Both positions include a transportation allowance of 31 cents per mile.

In some cases, residents can expect to be contacted by field canvassers confirming an address.

``We are recruiting people to work within their own neighborhoods,'' said John Reeder, Los Angeles regional director of the census. ``Our goal is to hire local people who are committed to a successful count in their communities.''

The census is the largest peacetime project performed by the federal government. More than 400,000 people will be hired nationwide during the next 16 months.

The block canvassing positions will last three to six weeks, and all applicants must take a written test. For information on jobs and testing sites, call the U.S. Census Bureau at [phone] or [phone].