ANNUAL TET Parade in Westminster (File photo).

By Jim Tortolano
Orange County Tribune

After a long discussion marked by some ill will among members, the Westminster City Council on Wednesday voted 5-0 to swap the planned “ad hoc” committee of councilmembers for the 2027 Tet Parade for two “liaisons” from the council.
The liaisons will be Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen and Councilmember Nam Quan Nguyen.

In considering the ad hoc committee, some members rejected taking a role and another argued that the group might be unnecessary or even counter-productive.

Mayor Nguyen sounded exasperated by the discussion. Councilman Carlos Manzo argued that council participation in the running of the festival was unneeded. “Let the professionals handle it,” he said.

He also commented that he felt that in last year’s parade and celebration, some speakers took on a political tone. “If there’s one thing that will be the death of this,” he said, “it will be politicizing it.”

Over the course of the discussion, various council members volunteered and then dropped out from the proposed two-member group. Councilmember Amy Phan West offered to work with the mayor, who sharply replied, “I don’t want to work with you.”

After some doubts were expressed about the idea of an ad hoc committee, the council agreed to recast the ad hoc members as liaisons, instead.