The City ’ s 13 Mayor ’ s advisory committees worked throughout the year to gather public input , bridge gaps in underserved communities , host cultural events and tackle other initiatives designed to build unity in the community . Events included the second annual Arlington Asian Heritage Celebration with performances representing a panorama of Asian cultures , including Chinese , Indian , Mongolian , Japanese , Vietnamese and other Asian nations . Additionally , the inaugural Dreamfest in April featured a trio of free concerts and inclusive , family-friendly games and activities in Downtown .
Popular Annual Financial Report FY23 / 23
Advisory Councils Shine Spotlight on Arlington ’ s Diversity
Mayor Jim Ross said the event ’ s name “ is a nod to Arlington ’ s status as The American Dream City , and the festival celebrates Arlington as a place where people from all walks of life can live , work and play in pursuit of The American Dream .” Other festivities that celebrated our community ’ s diversity included the four-day Arlington Martin Luther King “ Advancing the Dream ” Celebration , the Arlington Juneteenth Celebration , Women ’ s History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month .
Advisory Councils :
• Mayor ’ s Asian Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Black Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Latino Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s LGTBQ Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Muslim Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Jewish Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Women Advisory Council
Continued Community Engagement
• As part of its three-year Diversity Communications and Outreach Plan , the City of Arlington ’ s Office of Communication continued to Build Unity by expanding its reach with Spanish-speaking residents as well as residents who do not get their news and information through online or traditional news sources .
• The City ’ s award-winning Ciudad de Arlington Facebook page grew to more than 15,000 followers in its second year . The City , whose population is nearly 30 % Hispanic / Latino and is a community where Spanish is the second most spoken language , also launched a Spanish-language newsfeed at www . ArlingtonTX . gov / Español that featured more than three dozen articles in its first six months . Additionally , 2023 was the first year Arlington ’ s annual budget video to explain the City ’ s operating budget and planned public investments was produced in Spanish .
• The City ’ s campaign to inform residents of the transition to trash carts was published and distributed in English , Spanish and Vietnamese . The City also mailed printed postcards to more than 100,000 households twice , held in-person meetings and a telephone townhall , and invested in targeted , local advertising to ensure that residents without internet access or those who do not rely on traditional media outlets for local news were well informed .
• Mayor ’ s Young Adult Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Older Adult Advisory Council
• Mayor ’ s Education Coalition
• Mayor ’ s Wellness Coalition
• Mayor ’ s Veterans Affairs Task Force
• Mayor ’ s Committee on People with Disabilities