Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
Chronicle Managing Editor Cathy DeDe writes: The Warren County Board of Supervisors will consider a resolution at their Tuesday, May 13, meeting to limit displays on County-owned flagpoles to the American flag, New York State flag, and POW-MIA flag.
Glens Falls Ward 3 Supervisor Nancy Turner, while agreeing with the wording of the resolution regarding official county flagpoles said, “There’s no reason why we couldn’t designate another flag pole to fly other flags for other groups such as June Pride month.
She said, “We have proclamations every month for other groups, such as Mental Health Awareness, Donate Life month, Sexual Assault Awareness month….”
Glens Falls Ward 5 Supervisor Ben Driscoll said he agreed in principle, but noted opportunities for conflict if more than one group wanted to fly their flag, or if groups on opposite sides of an issue both wanted to fly flags for their causes.
Thurman Town Supervisor Frank Thomas cautioned, “You’re heading down a slippery slope. It’s all fine when it’s somebody you agree with, but what are you going to do when the neo-Nazis come and they want to put their flag up, or the Gadsden flag (“Don’t Tread on Me”), or Hamas, or the…Confederate flag?”
Queensbury Town Supervisor and John Strough who is committee chair, and Bolton Supervisor Ron Conover noted the potential difficulty of deciding which flags were appropriate, or even choosing who at the County would make such sensitive decisions.
There is a time element, as Lower Adirondack Pride had requested to fly their banner this year in June. They’d requested the same the prior year.
County administrator John Taflan said he’d researched the issue alongside County Attorney Larry Elmen, “for about six months” in advance of bringing this resolution to the committee.
The consensus was to approve the resolution as noted above, and to maintain the option to consider later whether to allow other flags at other County locations.
The full Board meeting and vote is at 10 a.m. on Tuesday (note: not Friday!) at the County Municipal Center.
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