The Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

Boundary and Annexation Survey
Respondent Guide: MAF/TIGER
Partnership Software

Issued August 2009

Table of Contents
1.

Introduction to the Boundary and Annexation Survey ........................................................... 3
1.1
Overview of the BAS...................................................................................................... 3
1.2
Specific state arrangements and agreements................................................................... 3
1.3
Legal disputes ................................................................................................................. 3
1.4
Key dates for BAS respondents ...................................................................................... 4
2. Installing MTPS and Census Bureau Data.............................................................................. 4
2.1
Installing the MTPS program.......................................................................................... 4
2.2
Loading the Census Bureau data..................................................................................... 5
3. Viewing and Updating Boundary Data and BAS Forms Using MTPS .................................. 5
3.1
Logging in to MTPS ....................................................................................................... 5
3.2
Computer Based Training (CBT).................................................................................... 6
3.3
Updating your contact information................................................................................. 6
3.4
Reviewing and updating the BAS forms ........................................................................ 7
3.5
Opening the map ........................................................................................................... 19
3.6
Customizing the map view............................................................................................ 20
3.7
Editing the data ............................................................................................................. 21
4. Reviewing Updates ............................................................................................................... 31
5. Printing Maps of Your Updates ............................................................................................ 33
6. Submitting Updates to the Census Bureau............................................................................ 33
6.1
Creating the ZIP File..................................................................................................... 33
6.2
Returning the Changes to the Census Bureau............................................................... 34
Appendix 1: Paperwork Reduction Project................................................................................... 36
Appendix 2: State Arrangements and Agreements....................................................................... 37
Appendix 3: Census Bureau Regional Census Centers - Contact Information ............................ 43
Appendix 4: Tool Explanations by Toolbox................................................................................. 44
Appendix 5: Acceptable Change Types by Entity Type............................................................... 51
Appendix 6: Geographic Corridors and Geographic Offsets........................................................ 52

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1. Introduction to the Boundary and Annexation Survey
1.1

Overview of the BAS

The Census Bureau conducts an annual survey called the Boundary and Annexation Survey
(BAS) to collect information about selected legally defined geographic areas, such as counties
(and equivalent areas), incorporated places, minor civil divisions (MCDs), and federally
recognized American Indian reservations, including off-reservation trust lands and tribal
subdivisions. The BAS also provides an opportunity for participants to review the names and
geographic relationships for these areas. Title 13, U.S. Census Code authorizes this survey.
BAS information is used to provide a record for reporting the results of the decennial and
economic censuses, and to support the Population Estimates Program and the American
Community Survey. Maintaining correct boundaries and boundary-to-feature relationships
through the BAS helps ensure that the appropriate population is assigned to each entity.
In compliance with the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16, the BAS supports the
Census Bureau’s spatial data steward responsibilities for the Federal Geographic Data
Committee and the Geospatial One-Stop by updating the inventory of, and boundaries for,
governmental units. In addition, the BAS is the source of up-to-date information on boundaries,
codes, and names for the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Map and the Geographic
Names Information System. The BAS is also the source for changes in the boundaries of
incorporated places, MCDs, counties (and equivalent areas), and federally recognized American
Indian Areas (AIAs), which include reservations and off-reservation trust lands.

1.2

Specific state arrangements and agreements

The Census Bureau has established a number of arrangements or agreements with states for
reporting boundary changes. It is very important that you review Appendix 2 to see if your state
has special requirements.

1.3

Legal disputes

If it comes to our attention that areas of land are in dispute between two or more jurisdictions, we
will not make annexations or boundary corrections until the parties come to a written agreement,
or there is a documented final court decision regarding the matter/dispute. If you have questions
concerning this, please contact the Census Bureau Legal Office at 301-763-2918.

3

1.4

Key dates for BAS respondents

All changes received by March 1st will be reflected in the Population Estimates Program and
the American Community Survey. If the Census Bureau receives your updates by April 30th,
they will be included in your BAS materials next year, as well as the 2010 Census.
To change your method of participation in BAS from MTPS to paper, you must notify the
Census Bureau by January 15th. You can contact the Census Bureau by phone at 1-800-9725651 or by email at [email protected]. (Note: To change from MTPS to digital, you can
simply use the shapefiles provided with MTPS and follow the instructions found in the Digital
BAS Respondent Guide located on the data CD or the BAS website.)

2. Installing MTPS and Census Bureau Data
The MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) was developed as a way for participants to
digitally update Census Bureau maps and forms, as well local contact data, without the need to
purchase software. If you would like to speak with someone at the Census Bureau regarding any
issues you are experiencing with the software, please call 1-800-972-5651.
In your BAS package, you will receive a CD containing the MTPS program and one or more
CDs or DVDs containing the Census Bureau data. This section will provide instruction on how
to install both the software and the data. If you have any problems installing either the MTPS
program or the data, please contact the Census Bureau at 1-800-972-5651.
Warning: Installing the MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) and the accompanying data
will delete any previous MTPS data installations and any work you have already completed,
regardless of Census program (BAS, LUCA, SDRP, RDP, etc.).
To avoid this, it is recommended that the installation of these materials be done on separate
computers or the data should be installed into different folders.
To install the data into different folders:
a.) Before beginning the installation, navigate to the C:\MTPSData folder.
b.) Rename the folder using the program initials so you can easily identify it later. (e.g.
C:\MTPSData_PSAP or C:\MTPSData_RDP)
c.) Proceed with the installation. When the installation is complete you will again have a folder
titled C:\MTPSData but it will now contain your BAS data.
d.) If you need to switch back to one of these other programs, first rename the C:\MTPSData
folder to C:\MTPSData_BAS or another memorable name)
e.) Rename the program’s folder that you want to use to C:\MTPSData.
f.) Now, launching the software will open that dataset.

2.1

Installing the MTPS program

If you used MTPS for a previous BAS submission, you will need to uninstall the old version:
4

1.
2.
3.
4.

In Windows, go to Start, Settings, Control Panel.
Double click on Add or Remove Programs.
Click on the MAF/TIGER Partnership Software line, and then click Change/Remove.
Follow the prompts, choosing to uninstall the software.

To install the current version of MTPS:
Note: In order to ensure that the program installs correctly, it should be installed under an
account with administrator privileges.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

2.2

Start Windows.
Insert the Program CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Choose the Run command from the Start menu.
Type the location of your CD-ROM drive plus the word setup (ex. D:\setup) or use the
Browse button to locate the SETUP.EXE file.
Click OK. The installation program will appear on your screen.
On the Welcome screen, click Next.
Click Yes to accept the Software License Agreement.
For Installation Type, choose Single User.
The setup program will guide you through the installation process, asking questions and
making suggestions along the way. We recommend that you accept the default settings.
Note: If there are already files in the default directory, the setup program will
ask if you want to remove these files. If you click Yes, the files will be
removed; if you click No, you can choose a different directory.

Loading the Census Bureau data

After the MTPS program has been installed, the installation software will ask you to insert the
first data CD into your CD-ROM drive and will then load the data onto your computer. Upon
completion, the program will ask you to insert the next CD, if more than one CD was provided.
You will be prompted to insert subsequent CDs until all the data has been loaded.

3. Viewing and Updating Boundary Data and BAS Forms Using
MTPS
3.1

Logging in to MTPS

When you installed MTPS on your computer it was added to the list of software in the Programs
folder in the Start menu. The software can be initiated by selecting the MAF/TIGER Partnership
Software from the Programs folder.
Upon opening, the program will ask for your username. The username is “BAS” (case-senstive).
Select the OK button when you have entered the username.

5

After your username has been accepted by the program, the data files that you loaded in the
previous step will be indexed so that the program is able to read and edit them. For this step any
antivirus software on your computer should be turned off. The indexing process will take much
longer if antivirus software is running. The time required for indexing the files varies depending
on the amount of data for your entity and the surrounding areas. (This indexing will only need to
be done the first time you open MTPS.)

3.2

Computer Based Training (CBT)

After you have logged in to MTPS, a window will appear asking you if you would like to view
the Computer Based Training (CBT) demonstrations or if you would like to go straight to the
update software. The CBT modules demonstrate how to use the software to make different types
of updates, such as adding a line or adding area to your entity.
The CBT modules can be viewed at any time from the Programs folder in the Start menu.
We strongly recommend that you review the following tutorials in the CBT before continuing:
 Creating additions/annexations, deletions/deannexations, and new entities
 Editing linear features
 Editing area features
 Editing landmark points
 Reporting and viewing your BAS changes

3.3

Updating your contact information

The first time you enter MTPS, a window will appear asking you to verify and/or correct the
contact information for the person responding to the BAS. Example 3.3.1 shows an example of
the contact information box.

Example 3.3.1: Participant Information Window

6

If the contact information for the person completing the submission is different from what is
populated in the form, please type over the incorrect data. The Census Bureau tries to have
complete contact data for each entity, but if we are missing data, such as a fax number or e-mail
address, please populate the appropriate fields with the information. Click the OK button in the
bottom right corner after you have completed making the necessary updates.
If you determine that the respondent’s contact data is correct and complete, click the OK button
to verify the information.
The Participant Information window can be viewed at any time while you are logged in to MTPS
by selecting BAS from the general toolbar and then selecting Update User Information (see
Example 3.3.2).

Example 3.3.2: Opening the Participant Information window after initial logon

3.4

Reviewing and updating the BAS forms

The BAS forms are important because they allow the local participants to review the geographic
relationship information and previously submitted legal boundary change data. Included in your
package is a paper BAS form. This form is provided only as a reference; you should update the
BAS forms through the MTPS program. The Census Bureau has developed a unique form for
each entity type included in the BAS. There are four form types: incorporated place, MCD,
county, and AIA.
The forms can be accessed at any time while you are logged in to MTPS by selecting BAS from
the main toolbar at the top of the screen and then selecting Update BAS Startup Forms (Example
3.4.1).

Example 3.4.1: Opening the BAS forms after initial logon

7

The following subsections will provide an explanation of the necessary steps to complete each
type of form:
 3.4.1 Incorporated Place
 3.4.2 MCD
 3.4.3 County
 3.4.4 American Indian Area
3.4.1

Incorporated Place form

The BAS Form 1 screen shows the name and geographic relationship information for the
incorporated place and asks the participant to verify the information.

8

The following information is provided in the Title and Entity section:
 Part A lists the incorporated place name, FIPS code, type, and state.
 Part B lists the counties that contain the incorporated place.
 Part C lists the MCDs that contain or correspond with the incorporated place, if
applicable. If your incorporated place is located in a state where MCDs do not exist or
are not active Part C will list the CCD(s) in which your incorporated place is located.
Please review the information provided in the Title and Entity section (Example 3.4.1.1).

Example 3.4.1.1: Reviewing the first screen of the Place form

The Modifications section includes questions about the validity of the information provided in
the Title and Entity section. The default answer to each question is Yes.
If you have changes to report for Question a, complete the following steps:
 Select the radio button next to No.
 Key in the correct Name and/or Type into the appropriate field.
 Select the calendar under the Effective Date of Change to choose a date. An effective
date is required for all name and type changes, with the exception of spelling corrections.
If you have changes to report for Question b, complete the following steps:
 Select the radio button next to No. This selection will activate Question c.
).
 To add or delete a county or MCD from the list, select the Add New Change tool (
Multiple rows can be added using this tool.
 After a record has been added, select A for Add or D for Delete from the Add/Del
dropdown and type the name of the county or MCD that needs to be added or removed
from the list in the appropriate column.
9



If this change is the result of a legal boundary change, double click in the Date column
and select the effective date from the provided calendar. A date is not required if your
entity was listed or not listed in the county or MCD erroneously.



If you add a row by mistake and would like to remove it use the Drop Change tool (

).

Example 3.4.1.2: Correcting or updating the counties and MCDs within which your incorporated place is located

If your entity supplied the Census Bureau with boundary changes during the previous BAS
cycle, select the Next button (
) at the bottom of the screen to proceed to the BAS Table
Review screen. This screen displays data submitted for each boundary change that was reported
for your entity during the previous BAS cycle.
Note: If your entity did not supply the Census Bureau with any boundary changes,
an OK button will appear at the bottom of the BAS Form 1 screen. Click the OK
button to complete the form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to
review and update the boundaries on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this
document for an explanation of how to open the BAS map in MTPS.
On the BAS Table Review screen, please look at each field to ensure that the data was accurately
recorded (Example 3.4.1.3).

Example 3.4.1.3: Reviewing boundary change data

10

The values that may be present in the Type of Change field are A (Addition), B (Boundary
Correction), D (Deletion), and O (Other). Table 3.4.1.1 explains the values that may be present
in the Auth. Type field.
Code
O
R
L
S
X

Definition
Ordinance
Resolution
Local Law
State Level Action
Other Type

Table 3.4.1.1: Auth. Type Codes

If you determine that a field needs to be modified:
 Enter the correct data into the white field to the right of the column that requires the
correction. The fields next to Type of Change and Auth. Type require you to choose a
value from a dropdown menu. If you wish to make a change to the effective date double
click in the field next to Effective Date and a calendar will appear allowing you to choose
the correct date. Note: additional fields exist for each record that are not viewable
unless you scroll to the right.
When you have completed reviewing both portions of the form, click the OK button to complete
your form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to review and update the boundaries
on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this document for an explanation of how to open the BAS
map in MTPS.
3.4.2

Minor Civil Division (MCD) form

The BAS Form 3 screen shows information about the Minor Civil Division and asks the
participant to verify the information.
The following information is provided in the Title and Entity section:
 Part A lists the MCD’s name, type, county, and state.
Please review the information provided in the Title and Entity section (Example 3.4.2.1).

Example 3.4.2.1: Reviewing the first screen of the MCD form

11

The Modifications section includes a question about the validity of the information provided in
the Title and Entity section (Example 3.4.2.2). The default answer is Yes.
If you have a change to report for Question a, complete the following steps:
 Select the radio button next to No.
 Key in the correct Name and/or Type into the appropriate field.
 Select the calendar under the Effective Date of Change to choose a date. An effective
date is required for all name and type changes, with the exception of spelling corrections.

Example 3.4.2.2: Updating or correcting the name and type of your MCD

If your entity supplied the Census Bureau with legal boundary changes during the previous BAS
cycle, select the Next button (
) at the bottom of the screen to proceed to the BAS Table
Review screen. This screen displays data submitted for each boundary change that was reported
for your entity during the previous BAS cycle.
Note: If your entity did not supply the Census Bureau with any legal boundary
changes, an OK button will appear at the bottom of the first screen. Click the OK
button to complete the form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to
review and update the boundaries on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this
document for an explanation of how to open the BAS map in MTPS.
On the BAS Table Review screen, please review each field to ensure that the data was accurately
recorded (Example 3.4.2.3).

12

Example 3.4.2.3: Reviewing legal boundary change data

The values that may be present in the Type of Change field are A (Addition), B (Boundary
Correction), D (Deletion), and O (Other). Table 3.4.2.1 explains the values that may be present
in the Auth. Type field.
Code
O
R
L
S
X

Definition
Ordinance
Resolution
Local Law
State Level Action
Other Type

Table 3.4.2.1: Auth. Type Codes

If you determine that a field needs to be modified, complete the following:
 Enter the correct data into the white field to the right of the column that requires the
correction. The fields next to Type of Change and Auth. Type require you to choose a
value from a dropdown menu. If you wish to make a change to the effective date double
click in the field next to Effective Date and a calendar will appear allowing you to
choose the correct date. Note: additional fields exist for each record that are not
viewable unless you scroll to the right.
When you have completed reviewing both portions of the form, select the OK button to complete
your form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to review and update the boundaries
on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this document for an explanation of how to open the BAS
map in MTPS.

13

3.4.3

County form

The BAS Form 2 screen provides a list of the entities located within your county (Example
3.4.3.1). Please review this list to determine if all of the entities located within your county are
present on the list, if their status and types are correct, and if their names are spelled correctly (as
of the date listed at the top of the screen). All active entities will be listed first followed by any
inactive entities.

Example 3.4.3.1: County Form entity list review

If an entity’s name or type is incorrect, complete the following steps:
 Key in the correct Name and/or Type in the white column to the right of the applicable
column.
 Enter a date into the Date column by double clicking in the field and selecting a date
from the calendar that appears. An effective date is required if the change is due to a
legal name or type change. If the change is due to a spelling error, an effective date is
not required.

Example 3.4.3.2: Correcting the spelling of an entity’s name

If an entity’s status is different from what is present on the list (for instance if it has
disincorporated or never existed in your county), complete the following steps:
 Check the appropriate box for the type of change.
 Enter a date into the Date column by double clicking in the field and selecting a date
from the calendar that appears. All status changes other than “Incorporated place or
MCD never existed” require an effective date.

14

Example 3.4.3.3: Changing an entity’s status

If an entity needs to be added to the list, complete the following steps:
 Press the Add New Change tool ( ) at the bottom of the screen. A line will be added
under New Entities and the check box for “New incorporated place or MCD” will be
checked.
 Enter the entity’s Name and Type in the appropriate fields.
 Enter the effective date of the incorporation or creation into the Date column by double
clicking in the field and selecting a date from the calendar that appears.
 Note: You will still need to enter the boundary information for any new entities in the
map update portion of the process.

Example 3.4.3.4: Adding a new entity

When you have completed reviewing this table, press the OK button at the bottom of the window
to complete the form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to review and update the
boundaries on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this document for an explanation of how to open
the BAS map in MTPS.
3.4.4

American Indian Area form

The BAS Form 5 screen shows the name and geographic relationship information for the
American Indian reservation and/or off-reservation trust land, and asks the participant to verify
the information.
The following information is provided in the Title and Entity section:
 Part A lists the name of the American Indian reservation and/or off-reservation trust land.
 Part B lists the names of counties in which the American Indian reservation and/or offreservation trust land is located.
 Part C lists the FIPS codes for the reservation/off-reservation trust lands by state.
Please review the information provided in the Title and Entity section (Example 3.4.4.1).

15

Example 3.4.4.1: Reviewing the first screen of the American Indian Area form

The Modifications section includes questions about the validity of the information provided in
the Title and Entity section. The default answer to each question is Yes.
If you have changes to report for Question a, complete the following steps:
 Select the radio button next to No.
 Type in the new or correct Name into the field below. You must submit supporting
documentation such as a tribal resolution when reporting a name change.
Please disregard questions b and c on this form.
If your entity supplied the Census Bureau with legal boundary changes during the previous BAS
cycle, select the Next button (
) at the bottom of the first screen to proceed to the BAS
Table Review screen. This screen displays data submitted for each legal boundary change that
was reported for your entity during the previous BAS cycle.
Note: If your entity did not supply the Census Bureau with any legal boundary changes,
the Next button will bring you to the Tribal Subdivisions screen. This will list the tribal
subdivisions within your reservation/off-reservation trust land.
If your American Indian reservation and/or off-reservation trust land did not supply the
Census Bureau with any legal boundary change information during the previous BAS
cycle and the Census Bureau does not have any record of tribal subdivisions for your
entity an OK button will appear at the bottom of the first screen. Press the OK button to
complete your form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to review and

16

update the boundaries on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this document for an
explanation of how to open the BAS map in MTPS.
On the BAS Table Review screen, please look at each field to ensure that the data was accurately
recorded (Example 3.4.4.2).

Example 3.4.4.2: Reviewing legal boundary change data

The values that may be present in the Type of Change field are A (Addition), B (Boundary
Correction), D (Deletion), and O (Other). Table 3.4.4.1 explains the values that may be present
in the Auth. Type field. There are two possible values for the Type Added column: R
(Reservation) and T (Off-reservation trust land).
Code
A
C
D
N
X

Definition
Act of Congress, Statute, or Federal Law
Federal Court Decision
Deed Placing Land into Trust
Federal Register Notice or Notice Published in a Local
Newspaper by the Federal Government
Other Type
Table 3.4.4.1: Auth. Type Codes

If you determine that a field needs to be modified, complete the following step:
 Enter the correct data into the white field to the right of the column that requires the
correction. The fields next to Type of Change, Auth. Type, and Type Added require that
you choose a value from a dropdown menu. If you wish to make a change to the
effective date double click in the field next to Effective Date and a calendar will appear
for you to choose the correct date. Note: additional fields exist for each record that
are not viewable unless you scroll to the right.

17

When you have completed reviewing the BAS Table Review screen, press the Next button to
continue to the Tribal Subdivisions screen.
Note: If the Census Bureau does not have any record of tribal subdivisions for your
entity, an OK button will appear at the bottom of the BAS Table Review screen. Press
the OK button to complete your form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is
to review and update the boundaries on the maps. Skip to section 3.5 of this document
for an explanation of how to open the BAS map in MTPS.
The Tribal Subdivisions screen provides a list of the tribal subdivisions located within your
reservation/off-reservation trust land (Example 3.4.4.3). Please review this list to determine if all
of the tribal subdivisions located within your reservation/off-reservation trust land are present on
the list, if their type is correct, and if their name is spelled correctly (as of the date listed at the
top of the screen). The type refers to whether the subdivisions are active (A) or inactive (I). All
active subdivisions will be listed first followed by any inactive subdivisions.

Example 3.4.4.3: Tribal subdivision list review

If a tribal subdivision’s name or type is incorrect, complete the following steps:
 Type the correct information in the white column to the right of the column that requires
the correction. You must submit supporting documentation such as a tribal resolution
when reporting a name change.
 Enter a date into the Date field by double clicking in the field and selecting a date from
the calendar that appears. A change to a tribal subdivision name requires an effective
date, unless the change is due to a spelling error. (Example 3.4.4.4)

Example 3.4.4.4: Correcting the spelling of an entity’s name

18

If a tribal subdivision’s status is different from what is present on the list, for instance if it has
been deleted or the subdivision never existed, complete the following steps:
 Check the appropriate box for the type of change.
 Enter a date into the Date field by double clicking in the field and selecting a date from
the calendar that appears. All status changes, other than “Tribal subdivision never
existed” and “Boundary correction”, require an effective date (in the Date field).

Example 3.4.4.5: Changing an entity’s status

If an entity needs to be added to the list, complete the following steps:
 Select the Add New Subdivision tool ( ) at the bottom of the screen. A line will be
added under New Entities and the check box for “New subdivision” will be checked.
 Enter the entity’s Name and Type in the appropriate fields.
 Double click in the Date field to select the effective date of the creation.

Example 3.4.4.6: Adding a new entity

When you have completed reviewing this table, press the OK button at the bottom of the window
to complete the form review. The next step to submitting your BAS is to review and update the
boundaries on the maps. Continue to section 3.5 of this document for an explanation of how to
open the BAS map in MTPS.

3.5

Opening the map

To open the boundary update component of the software, select BAS from the general toolbar
and then select Open (Example 3.5.1).

Example 3.5.1: Opening the map

19

3.6

Customizing the map view

If you determine that there is data being displayed that will not be helpful to you as you make
your boundary updates, you may hide the data. To hide a layer (i.e. category) of data, select the
Map Layers tool (Example 3.6.1) in the main toolbar.

Example 3.6.1: Map Layers tool

For each layer that you do not wish to view, select it from the list and click the Hide Layer
button (Example 3.6.2). If multiple layers exist for a data type (such as Census Block, Census
Block: 1, etc.), select each layer and click the Hide Layer button. A data type is listed more than
once if you have received information for multiple counties. (Note: We recommend that you
hide the Census block and Census tract layers while working on BAS updates, as these layers are
not part of the BAS program.)

Example 3.6.2: Hiding layers previously viewable

This tool can also be used if a layer is hidden and you wish to view the data. To show a layer
that is currently hidden, select the layer and click the Show Layer button (Example 3.6.3).

Example 3.6.3: Showing layers previously hidden

If you want to view your own shapefiles to use as a reference layer while updating the map, you
can do this from the Layers window as well. Click the Add Layer button and navigate to the
directory where your shapefiles are stored. See the MTPS Help topic “To Add Layers from
20

ESRI Shapefiles to an Existing Map” for more information and detailed instructions on viewing
your own shapefiles in MTPS. You may also want to review the Help topic “Changing and
Customizing Maps” for more information on changing the symbolization, labels, etc. for any
layers you add to the map.

3.7

Editing the data

The MTPS program allows you to make many types of updates to the map (eg. add a newly
incorporated place, report an addition or annexation, modify an area landmark, add a new street,
etc.). The following subsections will describe how to use the software to make the changes to
the map and detail the documentation needed for each type of change.
3.7.1

Map editing toolboxes

There are four map editing toolboxes: the BAS toolbox, the Line Editing toolbox, the Area
Editing toolbox, and the Point Editing toolbox. Table 3.7.1.1 describes the data that can be
edited using the different toolboxes.

Toolbox

BAS toolbox

Line Editing toolbox

Data Edited
Boundaries of legally defined areas

American Indian Areas

Tribal Subdivisions

Counties

Minor Civil Divisions

Incorporated Places

Linear features
- Roads, streams, railroads, address
ranges, etc.

Area Editing toolbox

Boundaries of area landmarks
- Airports, parks, bodies of water,
cemeteries, etc.

Point Editing toolbox

Point landmarks
- Marinas, dormitories, hospitals, schools,
etc.

Table 3.7.1.1: Data that can be edited using the map editing toolboxes

These toolboxes can be accessed by clicking on BAS on the main toolbar at the top of the screen
and then selecting the toolbox of interest (Example 3.7.1.1).
21

Example 3.7.1.1: Opening the BAS toolbox

Note: Some toolboxes cannot be open at the same time, such as the BAS toolbox
and the Area Editing toolbox. If you receive a message that a toolbox can not be
opened due to another toolbox being open, please close the conflicting toolbox
and try again.
Appendix 4 contains tables showing the tools contained within each toolbox and their
functionality. These tables describe each of the tools and how to use them. In addition, an in
depth description of all of the necessary steps to complete each type of change will be given in
the following sections. The CBT modules also offer visual demonstrations of how to complete
map updates.
3.7.2

Boundary changes using the BAS toolbox

As stated in Table 3.7.1.1, changes to the boundaries of legal areas are made through the BAS
toolbox. An explanation of the tools in this toolbox is given in Appendix 4, Table 2. Although
the different kinds of boundary changes require different types of documentation, the steps to
complete the map updates are similar. Section 3.7.2.1 describes the steps used to complete a
boundary change using the BAS toolbox (and if necessary, the Line Editing toolbox). Section
3.7.2.2 provides a series of tables describing the required documentation for each of the types of
boundary changes.
Note: Although the software lists all of the change types for each entity type (e.g.
American Indian Area, Incorporated Place, etc.), only specific types of changes
will be processed for particular entity types. Please see Appendix 5 for a list of
allowable change types by entity type.
The CBT provides visual demonstrations of how to perform boundary updates. These
demonstrations will be helpful in visualizing the different tools and steps to complete a change
on the map. It is a good idea to review these demonstrations before completing boundary
updates.

22

3.7.2.1 Creating boundary change polygons
To create a boundary change polygon:
1. Select the level of geography to which the change is being made from the Edit Layer
dropdown menu on the BAS toolbox. This step only applies to county or American
Indian Area participants. All other participants will have the selection set for them.
2. Select the entity you wish to edit from the Target Area dropdown menu on the BAS
toolbox. This step only applies to county or American Indian Area participants. All
other participants will have the selection set for them.
3. Select the appropriate type of change from the Action dropdown menu on the BAS
toolbox 1 . The available types of change are:
 Addition or Annexation
 Boundary Correction (add)
 Boundary Correction (remove)
 Geographic Corridor 2
 Deletion or Deannexation
 Geographic Offset 2
 New Entity
 Other
Note: Boundary Corrections are fixes to the representation of the entity’s
boundary that are not related to a new or unreported legal action. These are what
would be referred to as drafting corrections in a paper environment.
4. Zoom to the area where the change occurs by using the Zoom In tool ( ) on the General
Toolbox or the Zoom to Target Area tool ( ) on the BAS toolbox.
5. Select the faces that make up the area to be changed. The Select by Pointing tool ( )
and Select by Shape tool ( ) on the BAS toolbox can both be used to identify the faces
you wish to change. When using the Select by Pointing tool, click inside each face you
want to select. When using the Select by Shape tool, draw a box surrounding all of the
faces that you want to select. If a face is accidentally selected you can unselect the face
by using the Select by Pointing tool.
 If you would like to select only a portion of a current face, you will need to
add a line to divide the face. Please refer to the Editing Linear Features CBT for
a demonstration of adding a line to divide a face.
 Under the BAS menu, choose Line Editing Toolbox.
 Use the mouse to draw the line and double-click when you are finished.
 A Dataview box will pop up – the only required attribute is the MTFCC code.
(If the line represents a new road, river, etc. you will probably want to enter
the Name as well.) Drag the right side of the Dataview window to make it
larger. Double-click on the small arrow to the right of the MTFCC field to
view the dropdown list of MTFCC codes. If the line is a road, river, or other
visible feature, choose the appropriate code from the list. If the line is being
1
2

Please review Appendix 5 to determine which change types should be used for your entity.
Please see Appendix 6 for an explanation of Geographic Corridors and Geographic Offsets.

23

added solely as a boundary and a visible feature does not exist there, give the
line an MTFCC of “P0001.”
 Once your added line has been saved, MTPS will split the face into separate
faces. You will then be able to select the desired area.
6. Check to ensure that the correct faces were selected. Very small faces may exist in
congested areas, so it is important that you use the Zoom In tool to view an area in detail
and make sure that you have selected all of the area that you intended.
7. Click the Save Edits tool ( ) on the BAS toolbox.
3.7.2.2 Populating the BAS Entity Update form
After the edit is saved, a popup box will appear requesting the attribute information for the
change. Boundary corrections (whether adding or removing area) and geographic offsets do not
require any attribute information.
The Update Form includes the following fields:
 Authorization Type
o This field represents the type of legal action that was taken to change the
boundary. You must choose the Authorization Type from a drop down menu.
 Authorization Number
o This field represents the record number (e.g. ordinance number, resolution
number, etc.) associated with the legal action that changed the boundary.
 Effective Date
o This field represents the date on which the legal boundary change went into effect.
The date can be chosen from a calendar.
 MCD
o This field represents the MCD in which the area was located prior to the boundary
update (for states with active MCDs).
 Type of Land Added
o This field applies to American Indian Areas and has a drop down menu enabling
you to choose Reservation or Off-Reservation Trust Lands.
The information that is required for each type of change, excluding boundary corrections and
geographic offsets, is displayed by entity type in Tables 3.7.2.2.1 – 3.7.2.2.3. Each field indicates
whether the information is mandatory, as follows:
 Y - the information is required
 A - the information is optional
 N - the field is not editable

24

Attribute Information Required for Additions or Annexations
and Deletions or Deannexations
Authorization Authorization Effective
MCD
Type of
Type
Number
Date
Land Added
American
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Indian Areas
Tribal
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Subdivisions
Counties
Y
Y
Y
N
N
(except GA*) (except GA*)
Minor Civil
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Divisions
(MCD)
Incorporated
Y
Y
Y
A**
N
Places
(except GA*) (except GA*)
Table 3.7.2.2.1

* GA state law does not require entities to report an Authorization Type or Number
but it requires participants to submit the acreage of annexations. MTPS automatically
calculates the acreage of the area and includes this information on the form, but you
can change it if the legal description does not agree exactly.
**The MCD field is only required when a change is made to an incorporated place in
a state that has active MCDs. If such a change is made, please enter the MCD in
which the area was located prior to the annexation or deannexation.

American
Indian Areas
Minor Civil
Divisions
(MCD)
Incorporated
Places

Attribute Information Required For Geographic Corridors
Authorization Authorization Effective
MCD
Type of
Type
Number
Date
Land Added
A*
A*
A*
A
Y
A*

A*

A*

A

N

A*

A*

A*

A

N

Table 3.7.2.2.2

* If the offset or corridor is a legal change (i.e. new annexation or deannexation), the
Authorization Type, Authorization Number, and Effective Date are required.

25

Tribal
Subdivisions
Incorporated
Places

Attribute Information Required for a New Entity
Entity Name
Status
Effective Date
Y
Y
Y
Y

N

Y

Table 3.7.2.2.3

You will not be able to save the update until each required field is completed. If you do not have
information for a required field, type “Unknown” in the field. The Census Bureau will review
each record with an “Unknown” value to determine whether or not the update can be integrated
into the MAF/TIGER database. If an issue arises with such a record the Census Bureau will
contact the person listed on the Participant Information form.
3.7.2.3 Deleting a change polygon after it has been finalized
If you determine that a change polygon was created in error, complete the following steps to
delete the change:
1. Select the Delete a Change ( ) tool from the BAS toolbox.
2. Select the change polygon that you wish to delete.
3. The software will ask you to verify that you wish to delete the change. Answer Yes.
3.7.3

Linear feature updates

As stated in Table 3.7.1.1, the editing of linear features is done using the Line Editing toolbox.
An explanation of the tools in this toolbox is given in Appendix 4, Table 3.
Refer to the Editing Linear Features CBT module for instruction on how to add, delete, and
modify features. These instructional demonstrations will provide information on the steps
necessary to create a feature and enter the required information. The Help menu in the MTPS
program also provides a list of classification codes that can be selected when creating a line.
3.7.3.1 Special note on linear feature updates for the 2010 Census
Please note that the Census Bureau has spent the last six years improving the spatial accuracy of
the roads in our MAF/TIGER database through the MTAIP project. Many organizations
throughout the country who maintain geographic information in digital form have worked with
us on this project.
At this point, the Census Bureau is moving forward with our 2010 Census field canvassing and
collection activities. This means that we are no longer processing widespread spatial corrections
to our street network. What is critical for the success of the 2010 Census data tabulation is the
location of roads relative to the entity boundary. As long as the road is within the correct entity,
the population and housing will be properly reported. The guidelines below explain what types
of linear feature updates we can accept at this point in time.

26

Street Update Guidelines


If a road is missing and it forms the boundary for the area you are defining, add the road
and provide the name.



If you cannot correctly delineate the boundary for an entity you are updating because the
feature you need to follow is incorrectly located, mislabeled or distorted in the Census
Bureau’s file, we request that you put the boundary on the problematic feature in our file.
This will establish for us what feature you want the boundary to follow. In addition, we
request that you report the problem area to the Census Bureau by sending information to
[email protected] describing the incorrect feature including the TIGER Line Identifier
(TLID) and the specific entity boundary affected. This can be done using an image file,
PDF, or other medium showing the appropriate correction.



Do not spatially realign street features by merging your roads into our spatial file and
flagging your roads as adds and our roads as deletes, or by using the Copy and Replace
tools.



You may add new subdivisions that are not in our database.

3.7.4

Area landmark updates

As stated in Table 3.7.1.1, changes to the boundaries of area landmarks are made through the
Area Editing toolbox. An explanation of the tools in this toolbox is given in Appendix 4, Table
2. The following sections will describe the types of changes that can be made to area landmarks,
the steps to complete those changes, and any required information that must accompany the map
updates. Please be advised that due to heavy workloads for boundary changes to legal areas,
changes to area landmarks and hydrographic areas may not be added to the database until after
the next year’s BAS materials are created. You may need to wait two BAS cycles in order to see
these changes reflected in your materials.
3.7.4.1 Boundary corrections to area landmarks
Since area landmarks and water features are not legal entities, the only types of boundary change
that can be done to an existing landmark are boundary correction (add) and boundary correction
(remove). To create boundary correction change polygons complete the following steps:
1. From the Edit Layer dropdown menu on the Area Editing toolbox, choose either “Area
Landmark” or “River, Lake, or Ocean” as appropriate.
2. Select the area landmark that you wish to edit from the Target Area dropdown menu on
the Area Editing toolbox.
3. Select the type of change you want to make from the Action dropdown menu on the Area
Editing toolbox. The available types of change that relate to adjusting a boundary are:
 Boundary Correction (add)
 Boundary Correction (remove)
4. Zoom to the area in which the change is located by using the Zoom In tool ( ) on the
General toolbox or the Zoom to Target Area tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox.
27

5. Select the faces that make up the area to be changed. The Select by Pointing tool ( )
and the Select by Shape tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox can both be used to
identify the area you wish to change. When using the Select by Pointing tool, click inside
each face you want to select. When using the Select by Shape tool, draw a box
surrounding all of the faces that you want to select. If a face is accidentally selected you
may unselect the face by using the Select by Pointing tool.
a. If you would like to select only a portion of a current face, you will need to
add a line to divide the face. See section 3.7.2.1 for details on splitting faces.
6. Check to ensure that the correct faces were selected. Small faces may exist in congested
areas, so it is important that you use the Zoom In tool to view an area in detail and check
that you have selected all of the area that you intended.
7. Click the Save Edits tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox.
Boundary corrections do not require any additional information. This means that a popup box,
such as the ones that appeared when an annexation was made to a legal boundary, will not appear
when the Save Edits tool is used to complete the change.
3.7.4.2 New area landmark
New area landmarks and water features can be added to the map using the Area Editing toolbox.
To create a new area landmark or water feature, complete the following steps:
1. Select the type of area landmark that you wish to create from the Edit Layer dropdown
menu on the Area Editing toolbox. The choices will be either “Area Landmark” or
“River, Lake, or Ocean”.
2. Select New Landmark from the Action dropdown menu on the Area Editing toolbox.
3. Zoom to the area in which the new landmark is located by using the Zoom In tool ( )
on the General toolbox.
4. Select the faces that make up the new landmark. The Select by Pointing tool ( ) and the
Select by Shape tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox can both be used to identify the
area you wish to change. When using the Select by Pointing tool, click inside each face
you want to select. When using the Select by Shape tool, draw a box surrounding all of
the faces that you want to select. If a face is accidentally selected you may unselect the
face by using the Select by Pointing tool.
a. If you would like to select only a portion of a current face, you will need to
add a line to divide the face. See section 3.7.2.1 for details on splitting faces.
b. Check to ensure that the correct faces were selected. Small faces may exist in
congested areas, so it is important that you zoom in close to the area and check
that you have selected all of the area that you intended.
5. Click the Save Edits tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox.
6. A window will appear asking for the name of the new landmark or hydrographic area.
Type the name into the box and click OK.

28

3.7.4.3 Removing area
Area landmarks and water features can be removed from the map if they no longer exist or if
they are erroneous. To remove an area landmark or water feature, complete the following steps:
1. From the Edit Layer dropdown menu on the Area Editing toolbox, choose either “Area
Landmark” or “River, Lake, or Ocean” as appropriate.
2. Select the landmark or water feature you wish to delete from the Target Area dropdown
menu on the Area Editing toolbox.
3. Select Deletion or Deannexation from the Action dropdown menu on the Area Editing
toolbox.
4. Click the Save Edits tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox.
The deletion of an area landmark or water feature does not require any additional information.
This means that a popup box will not appear when the Save Edits tool is used to complete the
change.
3.7.4.4 Changing the name
The names of area landmarks and water features can be updated if the name has changed or if the
name appears incorrectly on the map. To change the name of an area landmark or water feature,
complete the following steps:
1. From the Edit Layer dropdown menu on the Area Editing toolbox, choose either “Area
Landmark” or “River, Lake, or Ocean” as appropriate.
2. Select the area landmark or water feature whose name has changed from the Target Area
dropdown menu on the Area Editing toolbox.
3. Select Change Name from the Action dropdown menu on the Area Editing toolbox.
4. Click the Save Edits tool ( ) on the Area Editing toolbox.
5. A window will appear asking for the new name of the geographic area. Type the name
into the box and click OK.
3.7.5

Point landmark updates

As stated in Table 3.7.1.1, changes to point landmarks are made through the Point Editing
toolbox. An explanation of the tools in this toolbox is given in Appendix 4, Table 4. The
following sections will describe the types of changes that can be made to point landmarks, the
steps to complete those changes, and any required information that must accompany the map
updates. Please be advised that due to heavy workloads for boundary changes to legal areas,
changes to point landmarks may not be added to the database until after the next year’s BAS
materials are created. You may need to wait two BAS cycles in order to see these changes
reflected in your materials.

29

3.7.5.1 Adding a point landmark
New point landmarks can be added to the map using the Point Editing toolbox. To create a new
point landmark, complete the following steps:
1. Select the Add Point tool ( ).
2. Click on the location where the point landmark is located.
3. A window will appear allowing you to fill in the attribute information for the landmark
(Example 3.7.5.1.1). Double click in the white area next to MTFCC. A list of point
landmark types will appear. Select the appropriate type. If the point landmark has a
name, type the name in the white area next to FULLNAME.
4. Select the Save Edits tool ( ) to finalize the change.

Example 3.7.5.1.1: Attribute window for Point Landmarks

3.7.5.2 Deleting a point landmark
Point landmarks that exist on the map can also be deleted using the Point Editing toolbox. To
delete a point landmark, complete the following steps:
1. Select the Delete Point tool ( ).
2. Click on the existing point landmark.
3. Select the Save Edits tool ( ) to finalize the change.
If a point landmark is erroneously deleted, select the undo button at the top of the MTPS screen.
3.7.5.3 Renaming or recoding a point landmark
Point landmarks that exist on the map can also be renamed or recoded using the Point Editing
toolbox. To rename or recode a point landmark, complete the following steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Select the Edit Point Attributes tool ( ).
Click on the existing point landmark.
Change the name and/or MTFCC code of the landmark.
Select the Save Edits tool ( ) to finalize the change.

30

3.7.6

Adding address range breaks

An address range break is a notation indicating the addresses that fall within the boundaries of a
governmental entity. This information will not be displayed on your map but can be inserted
when you move a boundary that intersects a street or you add a street that intersects a boundary.
This will help the Census Bureau assign the correct addresses to your jurisdiction.
As stated in Table 3.7.1.1, address ranges can be added using the Line Editing Toolbar. An
explanation of the tools in this toolbox is given in Appendix 4, Table 3. Complete the following
steps to add an address break to a street.
1. Select the Show Left/Right Direction Arrows tool ( ) from the Line Editing toolbar.
Use the arrows on the line to determine which is the left side of the road and which is
the right side.
2. Select the Edit Line Attributes tool ( ) from the Line Editing toolbar.
3. Select the line which the address break should be assigned to. This will cause the
attribute information for that line to be visible.
4. Scroll to the LTOADD and RTOADD fields.
5. Add the address that is on the left side of the road closest to the boundary to the
LTOADD.
6. Add the address that is on the right side of the road closest to the boundary to the
RTOADD.

4. Reviewing Updates
It is very important that you review each boundary update you are making to a legal entity before
submitting your changes to the Census Bureau. The changes that you make using MTPS will be
processed for inclusion in the MAF/TIGER database and will move the legal boundaries of the
entities. A very helpful tool for the review of boundary changes to legal boundaries is the List
Changes tool. This tool can be accessed by selecting BAS from the MTPS toolbar and then
selecting List Changes (Example 4.1)

Example 4.1: Opening the List Changes tool

Use this tool to complete the following steps for the review of your changes:
1. Select the level of geography you would like to review from the dropdown.
31

2. Select the change you would like to review from the list.
3. Select the zoom to change tool ( ) located at the top of the window.
4. Zoom into the area of change and make sure all of the appropriate faces have been
selected.
a. If faces are missing or incorrect faces have been added, delete the change polygon
using the Delete a Change tool ( ) in the BAS toolbox and recreate the change
polygon.
5. While zoomed into an area of change, ensure that any needed geographic offsets and
corridors have been created (see Appendix 6 for more information on offsets and
corridors). If they have not been created, use the BAS toolbox to create them.
6. Review the attribute information by selecting the information tool ( ) and clicking on
the change polygon. The popup window will appear and the attribute data can be
corrected, if necessary.
7. Ensure that boundary corrections do not dissolve relationships between features and
boundaries. See examples 4.2 and 4.3 for illustrations of changes that would not be
accepted.

Example 4.2: In the image above the participant has created very small “spatial” boundary corrections that dissolve
the relationship with the river. These boundary corrections will not be incorporated into the MAF/TIGER database.

32

Example 4.3: In the image above the participant has created very small “spatial” boundary corrections that are
dissolving the boundary-to-feature relationship with multiple streets. Incorporating these changes would affect the
population counts for the area. Therefore the Census Bureau will not accept these small “spatial” boundary
corrections.

5. Printing Maps of Your Updates
If you would like to retain a printed copy of the changes you made while using MTPS, please
review the Printing a Map section of the MTPS Help menu.

6. Submitting Updates to the Census Bureau
Once you have completed creating and reviewing the changes you would like to make to your
BAS maps, you are ready to create a ZIP file and send it to the Census Bureau.

6.1

Creating the ZIP file

To submit your changes, select BAS on the main toolbar at the top of the screen and then select
Report Changes (Example 6.1.1)

33

Example 6.1.1: Report Changes

A confirmation box will appear after you have selected Report Changes (Example 6.1.2). Once
you have confirmed your desire to submit the changes, a ZIP file will be created. This ZIP file
will contain all of the files the Census Bureau needs for your submission.

Example 6.1.2: Report Changes confirmation box

After the ZIP file has been created, a box will appear telling you the location of the file (Example
6.1.3). Please note the location so that you are able to find the file on your computer.

Example 6.1.3: Location of ZIP file

6.2

Returning the Changes to the Census Bureau

We request that you submit your MTPS BAS response through the Census Bureau’s “Send A
File” FTP utility. Please submit only the ZIP file created by the MTPS program. (You may get

34

an error (such as a page timeout error) if the file is too large. In this case, please call the Legal
Areas Team at 301-763-1099 and we can help you delete some files from the ZIP file that are not
necessary.) The “Send A File” utility is located at:
http://www2.census.gov/cgi-bin/basupload
Source Information >> File to Send: >> Browse
Browse to the location where your file is stored to submit it to the Census Bureau.
Notify by Email >> Census Bureau Employee’s E-Mail Address:
Please type [email protected] so that the Legal Areas Team is notified whenever a file is
submitted to the FTP site. Please enter your e-mail address as well, so that we can notify you
that we have received your file.
Enter the Verification Code shown on the screen and click the Upload button to FTP your MTPS
BAS file to the Census Bureau. If you have any questions on the “Send A File” FTP utility
please contact the Legal Areas Team at 301-763-1099 or email [email protected].

35

Appendix 1: Paperwork Reduction Project
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the BAS review will take most respondents from 1 to 6
hours to complete. This includes the time needed to read the instructions, assemble materials,
organize and review the information, and report any needed changes. This estimate is based on
80 percent of all areas having few or no changes. However, for areas with many changes, it may
take 20 hours or longer to complete the survey. Please send comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden, to:
Paperwork Project 0607-0151
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Room 3K138
Washington, DC 20233
Or you may e-mail comments to:
[email protected]
Note: Use “Paperwork Project 0607-0151” as the subject.
Please include a copy of your message addressed to:
[email protected].

36

Appendix 2: State Arrangements and Agreements
The following states have special arrangements or agreements with the Census Bureau for
conducting the BAS. These agreements are described in the special notes below. Additional
agreements may be posted to our BAS website
(http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html) if they are finalized after posting this
guide.
1. Alaska
2. California
3. Georgia
4. Kentucky
5. Louisiana
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. Puerto Rico
10. Virginia
11. West Virginia
12. Wisconsin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Alaska
Alaska Statutes (AS 29 and AS 44) stipulate that the Local Boundary Commission be
involved in the development of all boundary changes to incorporated places including
annexations, incorporations, or dissolutions. The Local Boundary Commission within the
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development has designated
the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development as the agency to provide the
Census Bureau with boundary changes through the annual Boundary and Annexation Survey.
The Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development are
working together to consolidate the updates of legal boundaries in Alaska. This ensures that
the Census Bureau will obtain the boundary information it needs from a single source.
Please note that any governmental boundary changes, incorporations, dissolutions, and
mergers for your borough or city, effective on or before January 1st, will be submitted by the
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding legal boundaries for your borough or city
you may contact Ingrid Zaruba at 907-465-2439 or by email at:
[email protected]

37

2. California
The California State Board of Equalization serves as the Certifying Official for all local
governments in California. The Board certifies to the Census Bureau the legality of boundary
changes made by California municipalities. To assist them, please enter the final resolution
number adopted by the city council as approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission
(LAFCO) for each boundary change in the Authorization Number field on the BAS Entity
Update Form. Do not report the resolution number that initiated the action. Also, please enter the
date on the certificate of completion issued by the LAFCO in the Effective Date field on the
BAS Entity Update Form.
3. Georgia
The Georgia Code stipulates that all annexations and deannexations to incorporated places be
reported to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The Census Bureau has an
ongoing working relationship with this state agency to conduct the annual Boundary and
Annexation Survey. A list of entities that reported boundary changes to the Georgia
Department of Community Affairs is provided to the Census Bureau each year. By
agreement, boundary changes to incorporated places not on this list will not be incorporated
into the Census Bureau’s geographic database.
Please ensure that all annexation and deannexation information has been reported to the
Department of Community Affairs, per the Georgia Code. The Georgia Code is available at
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/. You may report your boundary changes to the Department of
Community Affairs online or print a boundary change report form at
http://www.georgiaplanning.com/annex.htm. Printed forms can be mailed to:
Annexation Reports
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
60 Executive Park South, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-2231.
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) serves as the Certifying Official for all local
governments in Georgia. DCA certifies to the Census Bureau the legality of boundary changes
made by Georgia municipalities. To assist them, please enter the final resolution or ordinance
number adopted by the city for each boundary change, as it was reported to DCA. If no
resolution or ordinance number was assigned by your city then use the DCA-ID number assigned
by DCA to your annexation report. Enter this number in the Authorization Number field on the
BAS Entity Update Form. Also, please enter the effective date, as officially recorded by DCA,
into the Effective Date field on the same form. The DCA-ID number and official effective date
for annexations can be obtained at http://www.GeorgiaPlanning.com/annex.htm. If you have any
concerns about this data, contact Terry Jackson at 404-679-4946.

38

4. Kentucky
The Kentucky Revised Statutes stipulate that all boundary changes to incorporated places
within Kentucky be reported to the office of the Secretary of State. Reports of boundary
changes are forwarded by the Secretary of State to the Division of Geographic Information
for mapping. The Census Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with this state agency
to conduct our annual Boundary and Annexation Survey. The Kentucky Division of
Geographic Information provides a list of incorporated places which reported boundary
changes to the Census Bureau each year. By agreement, boundary changes to incorporated
places not on this list will not be incorporated into the Census Bureau’s geographic database.
Please ensure that boundary change information has been reported to the Office of the
Secretary of State, per the Kentucky Revised Statutes. The Kentucky Revised Statutes are
available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statrev/frontpg.htm. All boundary changes should be
submitted to:
The Land Office Division
Secretary of State
Room T40, Capitol Annex
700 Capital Ave.
Frankfort, KY 40601
If you would like to review the data that the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information has
assembled for your entity, please visit http://kygeonet.ky.gov/. If you have any concerns about
this data, please contact Kim Anness at 502-564-1450.
5. Louisiana
The MCD used in Louisiana for Census Bureau data tabulations is the parish governing authority
district. These districts are the same as the Police Jury Districts or the Parish Council Districts
used for the election of members of the police jury or parish council. Please review the
boundaries of the parish subdivisions in your parish carefully to ensure that the names and
boundaries conform to these districts. Do not report election precincts or election districts or any
other areas that are not used in apportioning the representatives of the police jury or parish
council. If you have a question about which MCDs you are to report, please contact:
Bill Blair
Director of Demographic Services (House and Senate)
PO Box 44486
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Telephone: 225-342-2591
Fax: 225-342-0768
E-mail: [email protected]
If you report changes or corrections to the districts in your parish, please ensure that you also
report the effective date of each change.

39

6. Michigan
Michigan law stipulates that all boundary changes to incorporated places and minor civil
divisions within Michigan be reported to the office of the Secretary of State. The Census
Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with a state agency to conduct our annual
Boundary and Annexation Survey. The state agency provides a list of incorporated places
and minor civil divisions which reported boundary changes to the Census Bureau each year.
The Census Bureau uses this list to determine who should get a BAS package.
The Office of the Great Seal, located within the Department of State, serves as the Certifying
Official for all local governments in Michigan. This office certifies to the Census Bureau the
legality of boundary changes made by Michigan municipalities. To assist them, please enter
the job number assigned by the Secretary of State’s office for each boundary change in the
Authorization Number field on the BAS Entity Update Form. Do not report the ordinance or
resolution number that initiated the action. Also, please enter the date the change was filed
with the Secretary of State in the Effective Date field on the BAS Entity Update Form.
7. Minnesota
Minnesota statutes stipulate that all boundary changes to incorporated places and minor civil
divisions within Minnesota be reported to the office of Strategic and Long-Range Planning.
The Census Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with a state agency to conduct our
annual Boundary and Annexation Survey. The state agency provides a list of incorporated
places and minor civil divisions which reported boundary changes to the Census Bureau each
year. The Census Bureau uses this list to determine who should get a BAS package.
8. New York
The New York Department of State, Division of Corporations and State Records serves as the
Certifying Official for all local governments in New York. The Division certifies to the Census
Bureau the legality of boundary changes made by New York municipalities. Please be advised
that the state can certify only those boundary change actions enacted by Local Law pursuant to
Section 714 of the General Municipal Law.
The Secretary of State’s Office has recommended a way local governments can assist in this
effort. When you finalize a boundary change a popup box will appear. Please select “L” from
the Authorization Type dropdown menu, type the final Local Law number for the change into the
Authorization Number field, and type the date the annexation was filed with the Secretary of
State in the Effective Date field.
9. Puerto Rico
Under Puerto Rico law, boundary changes to municipios and barrios are reported to the Census
Bureau by the Puerto Rico Planning Board only. The Puerto Rico Planning Board will report all
boundary changes, approved by the Puerto Rico Government, effective on or before January 1st
of each year.

40

The Census Bureau and the Puerto Rico Planning Board collaborate to consolidate the updating
of legal boundaries at the commonwealth level, after they have been approved by the Puerto Rico
Legislature. The Planning Board maintains the most up-to-date boundary information for all
municipios and barrios in Puerto Rico.
If you would like to review the boundary data that the Puerto Rico Planning Board has for your
municipio and/or barrios, please visit http://www.jp.gobierno.pr. If you have any concerns about
this data, contact Ms. Lillian Torres-Aguirre at 787-723-6200 ext. 2501.
10. Virginia
The districts used for the election of representatives to the County Board of Supervisors are used
by the Census Bureau for data tabulation and will be represented as minor civil divisions
(MCDs) in Census Bureau data products. These districts usually are termed magisterial districts,
but can have other designations, such as election or supervisor districts. Please review the
boundaries of the MCDs in your county carefully to ensure that the names and boundaries
conform to the areas functioning as districts for the election of county supervisors.
Do not report taxing districts, districts used for the recording of land titles, or any other type of
district that is not used in apportioning the representatives of the county board. If these districts
are not called magisterial districts, put the correct description of the areas above the first data line
showing the “NAME OF MUNICIPALITY OR MINOR CIVIL DIVISION” in Question 3. If
you have a question about which MCDs you are to report, please contact:
U.S. Census Bureau
Geography Division
Geographic Areas Branch
Legal Areas Team
Washington, DC 20233-7400
Telephone: 301-763-1099
Fax: 301-457-4710
E-mail: [email protected]
If you report changes or corrections to the districts in your county, please ensure that you also
report the effective date of each change.
11. West Virginia
The MCD used in West Virginia for Census Bureau data tabulations is the magisterial district.
Magisterial districts are the divisions of the county used for the election of county commissioners
and members of the school board. Please review the boundaries of the county subdivisions in
your county carefully to ensure that the names and boundaries conform to the areas called
magisterial districts. Do not report taxing districts, districts used for the recording of land titles,
or any other type of district that is not used in apportioning the representatives of the county
board.

41

If you have a question about which MCDs you are to report, please contact:
Patricia Hamilton
Certified Association Executive
West Virginia Association of Counties
2211 Washington Street East
Charleston, WV 25311
Telephone: 304-346-0591
Fax: 304-346-0592
E-mail: [email protected]
If you report changes or corrections to the districts in your county, please ensure that you also
report the effective date of each change.
12. Wisconsin
Wisconsin law stipulates that all boundary changes to incorporated places and minor civil
divisions within Wisconsin be reported to the office of Secretary of State. The Census
Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with a state agency to conduct our annual
Boundary and Annexation Survey. The state agency provides a list of incorporated places
and minor civil divisions which reported boundary changes to the Census Bureau each year.
The Census Bureau uses this list to determine who should get a BAS package.

42

Appendix 3: Census Bureau Regional Census Centers - Contact
Information
Atlanta Regional Census Center

Detroit Regional Census Center

Marquis II Tower, Suite 1000

Detroit, MI 48207

285 Peachtree Center Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30303-1230

300 River Place Dr, Suite 2950
Phone: (313) 396-5002

Phone: (404) 332-2711

Fax: (313) 567-2119

E-mail:

E-mail:

Fax: (404) 688-4329

[email protected]

TDD: (313) 259-5169
[email protected]

Boston Regional Census Center

Kansas City Regional Census Center

Boston, MA 02108-3107

Kansas City, MO 64116-2051

Fax: (617) 223-3675

Fax: (816) 298-9614

One Beacon St, 7th Floor
Phone: (617) 223-3600
Email:

2001 NE 46th St, Suite LL100
Phone: (816) 994-2020
E-mail:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Charlotte Regional Census Center

Los Angeles Regional Census Center

3701 Arco Corporate Dr, Suite 250

9301 Corbin Ave, Suite 1000

Phone: (704) 936-4200

Phone: (818) 717-6701

Charlotte, NC 28273
Fax: (704) 909-6714
E-mail:

[email protected]

Northridge, CA 91324-2406
Fax: (818) 717-6778

TTY: (818) 717-6705
E-mail:

[email protected]

Chicago Regional Census Center

New York Regional Census Center

Chicago, IL 60661-4555

New York, NY 10001-2406

500 W Madison St, Suite 1600

330 W 34th St, 13th Floor

Phone: (312) 454-2705

Phone: (212) 971-8800

E-mail:

E-mail:

Fax: (312) 448-1510

[email protected]

Fax: (212) 971-8990

[email protected]

Dallas Regional Census Center

Philadelphia Regional Census Center

Dallas, TX 75207-2514

Philadelphia, PA 19107-3721

2777 N Stemmons Fwy, Suite 200
Phone: (214) 267-6920
Fax: (972) 755-3705

TTY: (214) 655-5363

1234 Market St, Suite 340
Phone: (215) 717-1000
Fax: (215) 253-8001
E-mail:

E-mail:

[email protected]

Denver Regional Census Center

Seattle Regional Census Center

6950 W Jefferson Ave, Suite 250

19820 North Creek Pkwy, Suite 100

Phone: (720) 475-3600

Phone: (425) 908-3010

[email protected]

Denver, CO 80235

Fax: (720) 962-4606
E-mail:

[email protected]

Bothell, WA 98011

Fax (425) 908-3020
E-mail:

[email protected]

43

Appendix 4: Tool Explanations by Toolbox
This appendix describes each tool that may be important for a BAS submission. The
descriptions of the tools are organized by toolbox to ensure that you are able to easily locate
them when necessary. Please refer back to the main portion of the Respondent Guide for
detailed explanations of how to use these tools together to complete different types of changes.

44

Table 1
General toolbox
Tool

Example Situation

Instructions

You wish to zoom into a
specific area.

- Select the Zoom In tool from the toolbox.
- Click on the area that you would like to zoom to on
the map, or drag a box around the area that you
would like to zoom to.

You would like to see a larger
area than is currently in view.

- Select the Zoom Out tool.
- Click on the map.

You would like to view a
different portion of the map
while keeping it at the same
scale.

- Select the Pan tool.
- Click on the map.
- While holding the left mouse button down, drag
your cursor to move the map.

While navigating the map you
have accidentally changed the
scale.

- Select the Previous Scale tool.
- Click on the map.

After working in MTPS you are
interested in seeing the extent
of the map which was visible
when you began the current
session.

- Select the Initial Scale tool.
- Click on the map.
- The tool will display the map extent as it appeared
when your current session began. This tool does
not have the ability to show the map that was
initially displayed when you installed the program.

You are interested in learning
about the attribute information
of different features or
geographies.

- Select the Info tool.
- Click on the item in the map window.
- A popup box will provide attribute information.

You are adding an annexation
or addition and you know that it
begins a certain distance down
a road from an intersection.

- Select the Measure Distance tool.
- Click along the feature you would like to measure.
- A popup box will appear stating the distance in
miles.

You know the area of the
annexation, as well as the
distance that the annexation
spans along the road but you do
not know how far the
annexation goes into a field.

-

Select the Measure Area tool.
Click multiple locations to create a polygon
Double click to complete the polygon.
A popup box will appear stating the area, in square
miles and acres, and the perimeter, in miles.

45

Table 2
BAS and Area Editing toolboxes
Tool

Function

Instructions

To specify the level
of geography that
you wish to edit.

- Choose the level of geography
that you wish to edit from the
dropdown menu.
- Note: If you are a county or
American Indian Area
participant you will be able to
choose between multiple
levels of geography. The edit
layer will default to your
entity’s level of geography, if
you are a place or MCD
participant.

To specify the
governmental entity
that you wish to
edit.

- Choose the entity you wish to
edit from the dropdown menu.
- Note: If you are a county or
American Indian Area
participant you may be able to
choose between multiple target
areas. The target area will
default to your entity, if you are
a place or MCD participant.

To specify the type
of change you
would like to make
to an entity.

- Choose the Action from the
dropdown menu.

To change the
target area in the
toolbox by clicking
on an entity.

- Select the level of geography
you are interested in from the
Edit Layer dropdown.
- Click on the Target Area tool.
- Click on an entity of interest.
- The program will change the
target area to the entity that
you clicked on.

46

Table 2 (Cont.)
BAS and Area Editing toolboxes
Tool

Function

To zoom to the area
that you have
specified in the
Target Area
dropdown.

Instructions
- Choose the level of geography you are interested in
from the Edit Layer dropdown.
- Choose the entity you are interested in from the Target
Area dropdown.
- Click the Zoom to Target Area tool.
- The program will zoom to the entity you have specified
as the Target Area.



To identify the
attributes of a face.



To delete a change
after it has been
saved.



To select a face as
part, or all, of an area
of change.












To select one or more
faces as an area of
change.

To complete a change
and save it.

To cancel a change
before it is saved.



Click on the Identify tool.
Select the face you are interested in.
The attributes of that face for the Edit Layer selected
will be shown.

Click on the Delete a Change tool.
Select the change you would like to delete.
Verify that you would like to delete the change.

Click on the Select by Pointing tool.
Select each face that is part of the area to be changed.

Click on the Select by Shape tool.
Draw a polygon around the faces that you wish to
change. Double click to close the polygon.
Note: This tool will select only complete faces within
the polygon you have drawn. If you need to split faces
in order to delineate the boundary change accurately,
please see section 3.7.2.1 for instructions.



Click on the Save Edits tool.
An update form will appear asking for any required
information for the type of change that is being made.



Click on the Cancel Edits tool.



47

Table 3
Line Editing toolbox
Tools

Function

Instructions






To add a linear
feature.








To delete a linear
feature.






To split a feature.

To delete a
feature but save
the attributes.








To add a feature
with the saved
attributes.





To edit a feature’s
attributes.




Click the Add Line tool.
Single click to start drawing the line.
Draw the feature on the map with your mouse, single
clicking to change direction.
Double click to finish drawing.
A popup box will appear listing the editable attributes.
The minimum attribute requirement for a new feature
is an MTFCC code.
Double click in the area beside MTFCC to display a
list of possible MTFCCs.
If the feature has a name, type the name in the box
next to Fullname.

Click the Delete Line tool.
Select the feature you would like to delete.

Click the Split Line tool.
Click on the line at the spot where you would like the
line to be split.

Click on the Copy and Delete Line tool.
Click on the line that you would like to delete. The
tool will save the attributes so that you can use the
Replace Copied Line tool.

Click on the Replace Copied Line tool.
Draw the feature on the map with your mouse. The
attributes from the feature that you deleted using the
Copy and Delete Line tool will be added to the line
that was just created.

Click on the Edit Line Attribute tool.
Select the line of interest.
A window will pop up displaying the attributes. Use
this window to change the information.

48

Table 3 (Cont.)
Line Editing toolbox
Tool

Function
To display a
feature’s
alternative names.

To display the
direction of the
line.

To save an edit.

Instructions




Click on the Display Alternative Names tool.
Click on the line that you are interested in.
A window will pop up that will display the primary
and secondary names for the feature, if they exist.



Click the Show Right/Left Direction Arrows tool.
Direction arrows will appear for all features.



Click on the Save Edits tool.
The software will not allow you to save an added
feature without updating the attribute information.





To cancel an edit.


To cancel an edit before saving, click the Cancel Edit
tool.
All edits made since the last save will be deleted.

49

Table 4
Point Editing toolbox
Tool

Function

Instructions
Click on the Add Point tool.
Click on the map at the location where you wish to
add the point landmark.
A window will pop up where you must enter the name
and MTFCC code for the point landmark.



To add a point
landmark.

To delete a point
landmark.

To edit the
attributes for a
point landmark.

To cancel an edit.








-

Click on the Edit Point Attributes tool.
Select the point landmark that you wish to edit.
Type the correct information into the attribute
window.



To cancel an edit before saving, click the Cancel Edit
tool.
All edits made since the last save will be deleted.






To save an edit.

Click on the Delete Point tool.
Select the point landmark that you wish to delete.

Click on the Save Edits tool.
The software will not allow you to save a new point
landmark without adding an MTFCC code in the
attribute information window.

50

Appendix 5: Available Change Types by Entity Type
Geography
Place

County Subdivision

County

Tribal Subdivision

American Indian
Area

Available Change Types
Addition or Annexation
Boundary Correction (in)
Boundary Correction (out)
Deletion or Deannexation
Geographic Corridor
Geographic Offset
New Entity
Other
Addition or Annexation
Boundary Correction (in)
Boundary Correction (out)
Deletion or Deannexation
Geographic Offset
New Entity
Addition or Annexation
Boundary Correction (in)
Boundary Correction (out)
Deletion or Deannexation
Addition or Annexation
Boundary Correction (in)
Boundary Correction (out)
Deletion or Deannexation
Geographic Offset
New Entity
Other
Addition or Annexation
Boundary Correction (in)
Boundary Correction (out)
Deletion or Deannexation
Geographic Corridor
Geographic Offset
New Entity
Other

51

Appendix 6: Geographic Corridors and Geographic Offsets
Geographic Corridors
The Census Bureau geocodes addresses based on the street centerline. If the geocoding of these
addresses would result in the population being assigned to the incorrect geographic entity, we
recommend the creation of a geographic corridor.
A geographic corridor is an area that includes only the road right-of-way and does not contain
any structures addressed to either side of the street. Example A6.1 shows a corridor being
created where the incorporated place owns the right-of-way but the housing units are not
included in the incorporated place. Example A6.2 shows that the right-of-way belongs in the
unincorporated area, while the housing units are included in the incorporated place. In both
examples the incorporated place is shown in color.

Example A6.1

Example A6.2

As with all other types of geographic changes, individual change polygons must be created for
each geographic corridor that you wish to add.
Geographic Offset
A geographic offset is an area claimed by a geographic entity that is only on one side of the road
and does not include structures addressed to that side of the road.

52

The Census Bureau is aware that many governments base their legal boundaries on cadastral
(parcel-based) right-of-way mapping. Our maps are based on spatial data that is topologically
integrated, and this makes maintenance of geographic offsets inefficient. Snapping your entity
boundary to the centerline wherever applicable will help to establish more accurate population
counts. Example A6.3 depicts a cadastral (parcel-based) boundary map and Example A6.4
shows how the boundary should be reflected when it is sent to the Census Bureau.

Example A6.3

Example A6.4

Ultimately, if you do prefer to create geographic offsets, you must use the BAS toolbox to create
change polygons representing each geographic offset.

53