Introduction to the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

1. Introduction to the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

2. Presentation Overview What is the BAS? Why do we conduct the BAS? Why should local officials respond to the BAS? Who benefits from the BAS? State and County BAS Agreements Advance Response and BAS submission methods State Certification Important dates for the BAS

3. What is the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)? • A voluntary survey of local, county, and tribal governments • Conducted annually to collect information about legal geographic areas • Primary source of information for: • Legal boundaries • Names of governments • Functional status • Types of governmental units • New governments • Dissolved governments • Boundary changes • higher-level geographic relationships • e.g. a place annexes into a new county

4. What is the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)? Governmental units (entities) included in the BAS: • Counties and County Equivalents • Minor civil divisions (MCDs) • Incorporated places & consolidated cities • American Indian reservations and federally recognized off-reservation trust lands

5. Why do we conduct the BAS? • Ensure that population and housing counts are assigned to the correct geography in all Census Bureau products. • Support the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-16 • The Census Bureau is responsible for collecting and maintaining boundary information for legal areas, and provides them to other agencies, such as USGS • Geo.data.gov • The National Map (http://nationalmap.gov/) • Present statistics for various censuses and surveys: • American Community Survey (ACS) • Population Estimates Program • Economic Census • 2010 & 2020 Decennial Census Programs

6. American Community Survey (ACS) • A monthly nationwide survey providing communities with a fresh look at how they are changing. • Collects and produces population and housing information every year. • The ACS reports data for legal areas and some statistical areas, using the most recent boundary information from the BAS. • The ACS releases demographic, housing, social, and economic data for smaller communities and statistical areas for 5-year period estimates. • http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

7. Population Estimates Program • Retabulates the most recent decennial census results in the current year’s geography to update the Census Bureau’s official population estimates. • Uses boundary information collected during the BAS. • http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html

8. Why should local officials respond to the BAS? • Local officials know their areas best. • The state, county, and city will all benefit from more accurate assignment to geographic areas and better data. • The BAS has implications for the allocation of federal funds, and in some states, state funds as well. • Provides important information for community planning and decision-making.

9. Who benefits from the BAS? • The Census Bureau • Accurate housing tabulation count for our censuses and surveys • Accurate statistical data • Reliable geographic reference source • Other Federal Agencies • Example: US Geological Survey uses BAS boundaries for map products • States • Counties • Townships • Cities • American Indian Areas • State Redistricting officials

10. BAS State Agreements • Available to states that mandate local governments to report boundary updates to the state government. • Under this agreement, states report to the BAS by: • Submitting all boundary updates in the state, OR • Submitting a list of entities that had boundary updates. • State participation improves the BAS process in the following ways: • Reduces duplication of effort in collecting information • Reduces the burden on local governments • Improves the completeness of the boundary data collected in a given year

11. BAS County Agreements • The county government responds to the BAS for governmental units within their jurisdiction. • Under this agreement, the county reports to the BAS by: • Establishing an agreement with entities whereby the county shall respond to the BAS for the undersigned entities. • County agreement does not require every entity to sign on • County participation improves the BAS process by: • Reducing the burden on local governments • Minimizing mailout; only the County BAS contact receives materials. • Improving the completeness of the reported boundary data

12. Determining the BAS Contact • Each year, BAS materials are mailed to the BAS contacts. • How do we determine the BAS contact person? • Local official tells us. • A local government employee responding to the BAS for consecutive years will be assigned as the BAS contact. • If we have not received a BAS response for several years, we will attempt to establish a contact in either the local planning or GIS department. • The State Data Center (SDC) provides contact updates to the Census Bureau during the telephone follow-up phase of BAS. • If contact cannot be established, the BAS package is mailed to the Highest Elected Official (HEO).

13. Advance Response • The advance response letter and form will be sent to the BAS contacts in November and December • Respondents that wish to report boundary or feature updates must request or download materials from the BAS website. • Participants who want to submit their changes by the first deadline of March 1 should request their materials by February 1. • Forms and materials are available online: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html

14. BAS Material Review

15. Review and Update the BAS Form • Review the jurisdiction information • If any information needs to be changed, cross out the incorrect data and write the correct data January 1, 2011

16. Review and Update the BAS Form • There will be several short questions on the form regarding types of changes being reported for this year • Also, review or provide the name contact information for the BAS Respondent, who is the person completing the form. He/she may be different from the BAS Contact.

17. Review and Update the BAS Form • Review the BAS Contact and HEO contact information • Cross out any incorrect information and write in the new information

18. Review and Update the BAS Form (County Participants) • The names and status of each entity located within the county will be listed on this page. • Verify that this information is accurate and up to date.

19. Review and Update the BAS Form (Incorporated Place Participants) The last page of the form lists the legal changes that were reported during the last BAS cycle. Review each of the annexations and deannexations reported last year to ensure that the correct data was captured. You may add any applicable changes that were not listed on the form.

20. BAS Submission Methods - Paper • Census Bureau: • Mails maps and BAS form to the BAS contact • Provides online maps and forms for download • Participants : • Annotate and return paper maps and forms • Provide effective date and number for each annexation and deannexation • Or, return the “No Change” postcard if no changes to report.

21. BAS Submission Methods - Digital • First offered during the 2005 BAS for a limited number of entities • Designed to accept submissions from experienced users of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) who have the ability to modify Census Bureau spatial data • Spatial data provided in GIS shapefile format • Goal is to permit governmental units to use a GIS to create BAS submission files and electronically submit to the Census Bureau.

22. BAS Submission Methods - MTPS • MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) • First available during the 2008 BAS • MTPS is a free GIS software provided by the Census Bureau • Participants install the MTPS on their computers • Participants use the MTPS to create a Digital BAS submission file • Participants receive: • MTPS installation CD • one or more CD(s) containing the Census Bureau boundary data for their entity and the surrounding area • Participants submit submission file electronically to the BAS

23. Viewing and Downloading BAS Maps http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html

24. BAS State Certification Program (State Cert) • A program for state governments to review information that local governments reported to the previous BAS: • Legal boundary changes (annexations & deannexations) • Functional status of governments • Legal names of governmental units. • The current State Cert reports information collected during the previous BAS year: • Ex: 2012 State Cert reports information collected during the 2011 BAS.

25. Why do we conduct State Cert? • Ensure that legal boundary changes and government status changes reported to the BAS are legal. • implemented in accordance with applicable State Laws • Maintain the accuracy and completeness of boundary information: • The Census Bureau is responsible for collecting and maintaining correct Legal Boundary information • Make sure Census Bureau MTDB matches State record • Verify the attribute information submitted to BAS is correct: • Ordinance Number • Effective Date

26. State Laws and State Cert • The extent of State Cert varies depending on the State Laws for incorporations/disincorporations and boundary changes: • State Statutes • Constitution • or State Code • Some states have strong state laws requiring local governments to report to the state government: • The state contact has the authority to request the Census Bureau to edit or delete BAS information • In states that do not have such provisions, the Census Bureau will not edit or delete BAS information without confirmation with the local government.

27. Missing Annexations and Reversals • In strong law states, the state contact may notify the Census Bureau of any missing or illegal boundary changes: • The local entity is sent a discrepancy letter describing the issue • For boundary changes missing from the Census file: • The entity may simply report the missing boundary change to the BAS • For boundary changes flagged as invalid by the state: • The entity is responsible for resolving the discrepancy with the proper state authority. • After resolving the issue, the entity may submit the valid boundary change to the BAS.

28. Legal Disputes If it comes to our attention that an area of land is in dispute between two or more jurisdictions, we will not make boundary corrections or add annexations until the parties come to a written agreement, or there is a documented final court decision regarding the matter/dispute.

29. Important Dates and Deadlines