Introduction to the Introduction to the Boundary and Annexation Survey Boundary and Annexation Survey

(BAS)(BAS)

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Presentation OverviewPresentation 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

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What is the Boundary and What is the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)?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

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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

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What is the Boundary and What is the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)?Annexation Survey (BAS)?

Why do we conduct the BAS?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

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• 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/

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American Community Survey (ACS)American Community Survey (ACS)

• 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

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Population Estimates ProgramPopulation Estimates Program

Why should local officials Why should local officials respond to the BAS?respond to the BAS?

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• 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.

Who benefits from the BAS?Who benefits from the BAS?

• States

• Counties

• Townships

• Cities

• American Indian Areas

• State Redistricting officials

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• 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

• 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

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BAS State AgreementsBAS State 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 data11

BAS County AgreementsBAS County Agreements

• 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).

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Determining the BAS ContactDetermining the BAS Contact

• 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:

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Advance ResponseAdvance Response

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html

BAS Material Review

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Review and Update the BAS FormReview and Update the BAS Form

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• Review the jurisdiction information

• If any information needs to be changed, cross out the incorrect data and write the correct data

January 1, 2011

• 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.

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Review and Update the BAS FormReview and Update the BAS Form

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

information

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Review and Update the BAS FormReview and Update the BAS Form

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Review and Update the BAS FormReview and Update the BAS Form(County Participants)(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.

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.

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Review and Update the BAS FormReview and Update the BAS Form(Incorporated Place Participants)(Incorporated Place Participants)

• 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.

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BAS Submission Methods - PaperBAS Submission Methods - Paper

• 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.

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BAS Submission Methods - DigitalBAS Submission Methods - Digital

• 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

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BAS Submission Methods - MTPSBAS Submission Methods - MTPS

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Viewing and Downloading BAS MapsViewing and Downloading BAS Maps

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html

• 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.

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BAS State Certification Program BAS State Certification Program (State Cert)(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

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Why do we conduct State Cert?Why do we conduct 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.

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State Laws and State CertState Laws and State Cert

• 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.

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Missing Annexations and ReversalsMissing Annexations and Reversals

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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.

Legal DisputesLegal Disputes

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Important Dates and DeadlinesImportant Dates and DeadlinesDate(s) Description

December Advance Response Letters and Forms mailed to the BAS Contacts

December -February

BAS Materials mailed to the BAS Contacts

January 1 Boundary Changes (annexations and detachments) reported to the current BAS must be in effect on or before this date.

February 1 Last day for participants to request BAS materials to be shipped by mail.

March 1 First Deadline: Changes received by this date will be included in the upcoming Population Estimates Program and ACS. Boundary updates will be depicted on the next release of BAS maps.

May 31 Final Deadline: Changes received by this date will be depicted on the next release of BAS maps