Some of the city of Falls Church’s budget surplus could fund outreach to Vietnamese-American communities and celebrations of the United States’ 250th birthday.
An additional $35,000 would extend a current pilot outreach program by another six months, while $50,000 would fund patriotic events and activities next year and $12,600 would support pay raises for the city’s Planning Commission.
Engagement efforts
The engagement program involving the city’s large Vietnamese-American population is currently funded through the end of the calendar year. Additional funding would extend the initiative’s efforts until June 30, 2026.
In July, the city hired Le Nguyen as a 10-hour-per-week contractor to lead engagement initiatives. His efforts thus far have been “extremely productive,” said Cindy Mester, the city’s community-relations director, at a work session last week.
Nguyen has been “working with all our departments to talk about how they are interfacing with the Vietnamese community, with a focus on the Winter Hill senior community and the Eden Center business tenants,” Mester said.
Efforts have ranged from providing information on tax-relief programs to more outreach on emergency preparedness.
“It’s not just translating the documents, it’s connecting [with the community],” Mester said.
Staff also are asking Council members to consider making outreach efforts a permanent part of future annual budgets.
Council members will formally introduce the budget-reallocation measure at the Oct. 27 meeting, with a public hearing and final action slated for Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Celebrating the nation’s birthday: Also at the work session, there was discussion of the $50,000 proposed by staff to fund commemorative events and activities marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Council members established the Falls Church250 Committee, which is leading planning efforts in collaboration with city staff, late last year.
There seemed to be no pushback on allocating the money, but Council member Erin Flynn did want more information on how it would be spent.
“I know it’s not a lot, but at the same time, I want to make sure it’s well spent,” she said.
Mester said a final list would be forthcoming. The planning body “have had their initial brainstorming meeting” that has included initiatives such as oral histories, banners and re-enactments of key events in Falls Church history, she said.
Council member David Snyder, who is a liaison to the Falls Church250 body, said its members recognize the need for fiscal prudence.
“There’s no desire to spend more than is absolutely necessary,” he said.
Pay raises for Planning Commission members: Another small portion of the budget surplus — $12,600 — would fund promised raises to members of the city’s Planning Commission.
Council members recently approved an increase in compensation from the current $100 per month per member to $250. The stipend for the chair would double from $150 to $300 per month.
Future changes to compensation will be decided at five-year intervals.
Among Falls Church’s neighbors, Fairfax County Planning Commission members receive $25,000 per year in compensation, while in both Arlington and Alexandria, the posts are unpaid.
