Civic leaders in Fairfax County’s oldest African American neighborhood are pressing local leaders to avoid a proposed budget cut that would eliminate a key staff position in their community.
The proposed reduction would “significantly affect the Gum Springs community’s future,” said Linda Brown of the New Gum Springs Civic Association.
Brown and other Gum Springs leaders testified at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ April 16 budget public hearing in support of Terence Trent, a human development specialist at the Gum Springs Community Center whose job is among those proposed for elimination in County Executive Bryan Hill’s fiscal year 2027 budget package.
Losing the position and Hill would have wide-ranging implications, speakers told supervisors.
“He’s done great things,” said Debra Graves, vice president of the Gum Springs Community Center Advisory Council. “He is, and continues to be, a positive African American mentor figure and big brother.”
Trent’s impact has been particularly significant for seniors and youth, speakers said.
“He is a pillar of the community,” added Gina Jackson, president of the advisory council. “He is loved, admired, trusted and respected.”
Leaders of the Gum Springs Historical Society and Gum Springs Youth Athletic Association also turned up to urge the board not to implement the proposed budget cut.
Operated by Fairfax County Neighborhood & Community Services (NCS), the Gum Springs Community Center at 8100 Fordson Road in Hybla Valley provides programming for all ages, a partnership garden and technology instruction. It also houses the Gum Springs Museum & Cultural Center.
As part of his $5.7 billion FY 2027 budget plan released in February, Hill proposed $32.9 million in spending reductions, including $1.7 million and 18 total positions from NCS.
In addition to ending county-run programming at the Pinn and Huntington community centers, the proposed NCS cuts would ax teen drop-in sites at several local schools and combine community and senior center directors into one position at facilities where they’re co-located. Staff supporting a foster care mentoring program, services for older adults, and the Opportunity Neighborhoods initiative are also on the chopping block.
Last November, just four months before his position was proposed for elimination, Trent’s work was highlighted by the county on the “Connect with County Leaders” podcast hosted by Hill.
“We’re the hidden gem,” Trent told Hill. “The last couple of years have been really great.”
In the interview, Trent said his style is hands-on leadership.
“I always make sure I make everything personal,” he said of his interactions with the community at the center. “You never know what people need in life. You can only figure that out by having those personal conversations.”
Founded in 1833, the Gum Springs area is “one of the few African-American communities remaining in the county, state and country,” Graves reminded the Board of Supervisors at last week’s budget hearing.
The community is home to more than 2,500 residents, about 500 of whom are direct descendants of the original families, county officials said.
“We are not just a community of the past,” Graves said. “We plan to remain fortified and thriving for generations to come.”
