Kling calls on Hispanic community for Huntsville town hall

HUNTSVILLE – In an effort to represent the diverse population in his district, Huntsville City Councilman Bill Kling extended an invitation to the Hispanic community for an outreach event. 

The event, a town hall meeting with the District 4 representative, will be Monday from 5:30-7 p.m. at the McDonnell Elementary School cafeteria, 4010 Binderton Place. A light meal will be provided.

“I am looking forward to this meeting to reach more underrepresented residents in the West Huntsville community,” Kling said. “I am proud to serve a diverse district and want to make a special effort to help provide information and services to and receive feedback from members of the Hispanic community.”

Mayor Tommy Battle and Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles will also attend. Interpreters will assist with translation.

According to Kenny Anderson, director of the city’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the meeting is an opportunity for members of the Hispanic community to meet with local leaders. He said building that bridge is particularly important for non-English speaking residents.

Huntsville extended its outreach to the Hispanic community more than a decade ago with the formation of the Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, which works closely with the diversity office. Anderson said the town hall is an opportunity for the city to be more engaged.

“Members of our Hispanic community live and work here, spend money here and should have access to services many of us take for granted,” he said in a news release. “It’s incumbent on us to create opportunities to engage with this community, provide necessary resources and let them know their questions and concerns will not be ignored.”

Huntsville, the largest city in the state, has a population that includes a growing Hispanic community.

“We want people with all of these influences to be able to enrich our culture here,” Edwin Nunez, chair of the Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, told City Blog at www.huntsvilleal.gov in 2021. “At the bottom of everything is not only the progress of our youth but also the understanding of one another. The goodwill that generates – that is what we’re seeking.”