Galesburg City Council approved a new policy Monday that restricts the flags that can fly on city property to the American, Illinois, and some military flags.
This comes after months of controversy surrounding the council’s decisions on what flags should be flown or not.
Six Council members voted in favor of the policy with Sarah Davis opposed.
The LGBTQIA Pride Flag has flown at City Hall for three years but was approved by a narrow vote this past June.
Then in November, the Respect for Life flag was requested by community members and the council again approved it.
But a majority of Council members made good on their expressed desires for a flag policy.
Ward 3 Alderman Evan Miller offered to put up a flag pole in Standish Park to let various special interest flags.
Ward 6 Council member Sarah Davis says while it’s “logical” to restrict all special interest flags but says the policy is “purely retaliatory.”
“It was never a problem until the issue of the Pride flag and someone deciding they didn’t want a flag that represented other people’s rights because that makes them uncomfortable,” says Davis.
Ward 4 Council member Dwight White questioned why Interim City Manager John Schlaf brought the Respect for Life flag resolution to the agenda, while not doing the same for requests to fly the Black Lives Matter flag in June.
Schlaf declined WGIL’s request to comment on the matter.
