Arlington leaders long have suspected a demographic disconnect exists between those who serve on advisory bodies and the county’s population at large.
And now they have the data to back it up.
Renters, South Arlingtonians, Asian-Americans, Latinos and those in households earning less than $150,000 a year are among those statistically underrepresented — sometimes severely so — on the county government’s nearly three dozen formal advisory panels.
That’s based on the results of a recently conducted survey of those serving on the commissions.
To balance things out, the county government needs to “spread the demographic profile,” County Board member Takis Karantonis said in giving a presentation on the topic to his colleagues Nov. 19.
The survey asked the 290 appointed advisory-body members to fill out a questionnaire so the county government could:
- Identify gaps in representation and diversity
- Learn more about the obstacles people have that prevent them from participating in advisory panels
- Develop a focus on outreach and recruitment strategies
In sum, said County Board member Maureen Coffey: “Now that we know [the results], what do we do with this information?”
Of the 173 who responded to the survey, just under two-thirds come from the northern half of the county, with the highest concentration (24% of the total) in the 22207 ZIP code. ZIPs 22201, 22202 and 22204 each had 15%-6% of the total, with 22206 at 11% and other areas trailing.
“Definitely the geographic distribution needs some review,” Karantonis said.
Just over three-quarters (77%) of advisory-body members who responded were homeowners, despite homeowners comprising just 37% of the overall county population. While it is no shock that those with deeper roots through home-ownership gravitate toward civic engagement, “the order of magnitude was surprising,” Karantonis said.
In terms of annual household income, 43% of those on advisory panels said theirs was $200,000 or more, compared to 30% of the county overall. Only 3% said household income was below $50,000 annually, compared to 16% of county residents.
Those who identify as white comprise 75% of advisory board respondents, while 59% of the overall Arlington population is white.
Black residents represent about 9% of Arlington’s population and 8% of advisory-panel members who responded, while two other groups were more significantly underrepresented: Hispanic residents are 15% of the county population but only 8% of advisory-body members, while Asian residents are 11% of the county population but only 4% of the advisory-panel composition.
The housing, income and race/ethnicity disparities “stick out very drastically,” Coffey said.
The county government isn’t the only local entity aiming to expand its diversity footprint. A number of major civic organizations have made the effort, as well.
Jeanne Broyhill, who chairs Advance Arlington (formerly the Arlington Committee of 100), told ARLnow her organization’s effort has been challenging but is vital:
“Like any nonprofit anywhere these days, getting Arlington’s younger population that is a greater share of our population to engage in community activities is getting much harder. This is particularly true for Advance Arlington as we evolved from the 70-year-old Arlington Committee of 100 in 2024. Even retirees — once the majority of our members — are out there checking off their bucket lists. I think this will change, and sooner rather than later, as people tire of the partisan discussions and again begin seeking a space where they can get nonpartisan information on issues confronting their Arlington community, which is what Advance Arlington is still all about.”
As for the government’s efforts diversifying its advisory ranks, outgoing Board Chair Libby Garvey said the new data would provide “a great baseline” to measure future outreach efforts, and expressed gratitude that so many members of boards and commissions completed the questionnaire.
“I was surprised at the response rate,” she said. “That was really good.”
The questionnaire also asked what hurdles were for participation in government-advisory roles, particularly since boards and commissions frequently meet in person. Many issues were mentioned, with the availability of child-care options being at the top of the list.
Garvey said eliminating barriers was key to having an advisory-body system that works for everyone, including those that need support to be part of it.
“It doesn’t surprise me that most people that participate don’t experience barriers, and the people that have barriers don’t participate, but it’s really great to identify that,” she said.
County officials currently are working on an update on the rules guiding participation on advisory bodies. The last handbook was published in 2014.
Most county-government advisory panels are appointed by the County Board, although some bodies are under the authority of the county manager.
Two bodies that have independent statutory responsibilities — the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Electoral Board — have memberships appointed by the Circuit Court and operate autonomously.
