Arlington County’s official logo should be changed because of its “repugnant” association with slavery, at least according to one outspoken resident.

Susan Flaherty, an attorney who lives in the Rosslyn area, wrote a letter to the County Board calling for a replacement to the logo, which is a stylized representation of Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Noting that the mansion is the “former home of [a] slaveholder and enslaved persons,” Flaherty said that “maintaining the current brand/logo… will do damage to the county’s image.”

The letter follows a wave of statue removals, name changes and other actions to expunge Confederate symbolism in the wake of the events in Charlottesville last summer.

The Arlington School Board voted earlier this month to approve new school naming guidelines that would prompt the removal of Lee’s name from Washington-Lee High School. The county, meanwhile, has been pushing for legislative authorization to remove the name of Confederate leader Jefferson Davis from Route 1, as Alexandria recently did.

In response to Flaherty’s letter, an aide to Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol said that “budget constraints” currently preclude a redesign of the logo. However, the response (below) also pledged that the Board will “give the matter more thought as budget and staff resources become available in future years.”

Dear Ms. Flaherty: I am writing at the request of Chair Cristol and the Arlington County Board to thank you for your message inquiring about the possibility of changing the Arlington County Logo. A copy of your message was provided to each of the Board Members. As you may be aware, the Logo was last redesigned to reflect the County Seal some fourteen years ago through a time and resource intensive process. Unfortunately, given current budget constraints, the County lacks the resources to dedicate towards another redesign of the logo. I want to note however that the Board understands your concerns with the design, and will certainly give the matter more thought as budget and staff resources become available in future years. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with the County Board, and please let me know if there is any other way I can be of service. Sincerely, Mason Kushnir

Aide to Katie Cristol

Chair, Arlington County Board

Flaherty, in turn, said that “times have changed so much in the last year or so that this really needs to be made a higher priority.” Her full reply is below, after the jump.