The Huntington Community Association has created a fund for purposes of promoting the passage of the $30 million bond referendum for flood prevention measures in Huntington on ballots this November.

Alan Ruof, who is coordinating the campaign in favor of the bond’s passage, said the fund only amounts to several hundred dollars at the moment. The funds will be used to promote the bond’s passage through media such as fliers or other materials, such as signs.

In May, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 6-3 to approve the bond referendum, a month after Huntington residents formally urged the board for flood protection improvements after last September’s severe flooding forced 200 people to evacuate the area. The HCA’s strategy committee has met once to date, creating the fund and brainstorming on promotional tactics.

“The trick is, we’re going to have to get a majority of Fairfax County voters in November to vote yes on spending $30 million here when, for most of them, there’s no benefit that they’re going to see,” Ruof told association members at their monthly meeting Thursday night. “So that’s going to take education and outreach, and we have some really good rationale. We have a really good story to tell. The question is, how do we get the word out?”

Ruof said he has already approached the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations but that more outreach with that organization needs to be done. He stressed that although the flooding might not be a countywide problem, its causes are countywide as many local streams drain into Cameron Run.

That watershed is about 42 square miles, Ruof said.

The group also plans to reach out to multiple district councils in the county, fire and police unions and the Republican and Democratic campaign committees to support the referendum. The day will come soon, he said, when the county spends more to respond to the flooding than it would on flood protection improvements.

“I think if we can get two or three or more compelling stories on this side of this, we could have some kind of fact sheet we could disseminate to people,” said Harry Shepler, association president.

“We need to make this as personal as possible for other people,” said Huntington resident Daniel Gallagher.

Donations may be sent to: Huntington Community Association, P.O. Box 7041, Alexandria, VA 22307. Checks should contain a notation for the stormwater bond fund.

Local volunteers who want to help promote the bond’s passage can email campaign organizers at stopthefloods@huntingtononline.org.

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