A City of Galesburg flag policy will soon come up for discussion, but not before the City Council will deliberate flying another special interest flag.
On Monday, Council members will consider a resolution declaring the month of October as Respect Life Month. Knox County Right to Life has requested the resolution, as well as approval to fly the Respect Life flag at City Hall during the month of October.
The resolution to fly the Respect Life Flag comes after the City Council in June approved a resolution celebrating LGBTQIA Pride Month and along with it approving the flying of the Pride flag at City Hall.
Whether or not to fly the Pride flag stirred several weeks of debate among the Council and members of the public.
The amendment to fly the Pride flag passed 4-2-1, (Bradley Hix, Dwight White, Sarah Davis, and Steve Cheesman voting in favor) with a resolution recognizing it as Pride Month passing 6-1 (only Evan Miller opposing).
Sparked by the debate on whether to allow the Pride flag to fly at City Hall in June, several City Council members and the mayor suggested the city should adopt a flag policy.
Mayor: Don’t fly new flags until a new policy is in place
Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman tells WGIL, “The city did investigate a flag policy but given the turnover in key positions, this research has not been formulated into an official policy. We anticipate this happening before the end of the year.
“I would recommend that we do not fly new flags until that policy is in place.”
Interim City Manager John Schlaf said city administration is in the process of constructing a flag policy, but it will not be ready for Council consideration before it votes on the Respect Life flag Monday.
“Based on what I learned happened earlier this summer, we have started working on an ordinance or flag policy for the Council to consider in the relatively near future,” Schlaf said.
“I think rather than the Council having to go through a deliberation process in detail every time we have a flag request, it would be helpful to have some guidelines to follow in the future.”
Schlaf said city administration will research what’s been done in other cities across the country, then have a legal review of the proposed policy before presenting it for consideration by the Council.
The resolution to declare the month October as Respect Life Month, as well as approval to fly the Respect Life flag at City Hall, is not an ordinance, thus does not need two readings and can be voted on at Monday’s 6 p.m. meeting.
According to the agenda, Knox County Right to Life has requested the resolution, as well as approval to fly the Respect Life flag at City Hall during the month of October.
Schlaf said his office received the request to fly the Respect Life flag from several private citizens.
Sixth Ward Council member Sarah Davis, who was an impassioned supporter of flying the Pride flag, expressed to WGIL in June that she would be in favor of exploring an inclusive flag policy.
Regarding Respect Life Month and the resolution to fly the Respect Life flag at City Hall, Davis said this week, “I would not support a flag policy that allows a flag representing anti-science, anti-healthcare viewpoints.”
Alderman: Flying the Right to Life flag ‘the fair and right thing to do”
Seventh Ward alderman Steve Cheesman said he remain in support of creating a flag policy.
“There needs to be some guidelines established and a policy will do that,” Cheesman said. “I will say we need to hear what our citizens think and make a decision that reflects respect for all people’s opinions. That is going to require us to find common ground and it will also require us to compromise.”
Cheesman added, “In regard to the Right to Life flag request, I will vote yes to flying it, just as I voted yes to flying the Pride flag. That is the fair and right thing to do.”
According to City Clerk Kelli Bennewitz, Galesburg has never had a flag policy. Although not universal, many municipalities do have flag policies, including some in Illinois.
For 11 months of the year, only the American and the state of Illinois flags are displayed at City Hall. American and state flags also fly at Galesburg’s fire stations, and there also is a POW flag at the Lincoln Park Veterans Memorial.
