The executive director of the BCS metropolitan planning organization (MPO) has finished his presentations to local governments about preparing for next year's census.

Dan Rudge told county commissioners earlier this month that the Brazos County goal is to reach an urban population of 200,000. The 2010 urban population in Brazos County was 171,000.

The 200,000 urban population threshold would move Brazos County into a TMA, or transportation management area. That would give the MPO an additional $4 to $4.5 million dollars a year for Brazos County transportation projects. That would also reduce the subsidy given to the Brazos Transit District for its Brazos County operations from 100 percent to 75 percent.

As formal outreach efforts begin next month, Rudge promoted the formation of a complete count committee in Brazos County, as has been done by some surrounding counties and by the Brazos Valley council of governments. Rudge says the complete county committee would answer questions from local residents instead of someone at a census office in Dallas or Washington D.C.

Rudge brought up the importance of counting Texas A&M and Blinn students. He was told by census officials that in 2010, those groups were undercounted by 20 percent.