Glens Falls Council split on request to fly Pride flag at City Hall

By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer

Cam Cardinale, the president of Lower Adirondack Pride, is asking Glens Falls to fly a Pride flag on the pole in front of City Hall during Pride month in June.

The City, in mulling that specific request, is looking to create a general policy regarding flying flags on city property.

At the April 9 Common Council meeting, Mayor Bill Collins presented three options and expressed his support for the strictest option. He said there is no history of the city flying any but the U.S. and MIA-POW flags on any of its 11 flag poles.

He said allowing other flags would invite controversy and “put the Council in a position to endorse one group over another. It would indeed breed rancor.

“Whatever group we ever had to say no to, no matter who they were, would be marching in the streets, and therefore, I don’t know that it’s worth it.

“I believe that my job — really all of our jobs — is to manage the city business competently and completely without introducing controversy. Local government is all about collaboration, cooperation and service, not making statements.”

“Municipal government speech,” said Mayor Collins, “is not best expressed symbolically on flag poles. It is best expressed in physical terms, like marching in parades or speaking at these events in support of these community groups that we all support and love.”

Ward Four’s Ben Lapham countered, “Sometimes it’s okay to have a little bit of controversy, and running away from it does not make you a better person….”

Mr. Lapham said, “I don’t see a problem with having the Council be able to weigh in on different opportunities where people are looking to display their flag, like the Special Olympics, Red Cross and other groups that have flags that use those.”

Ward Three’s Diana Palmer says “the more important issue” is having a policy “so the City can protect itself from liability.” She said, “The Mayor would not have presented us with a banner policy if I hadn’t taken the time to do the research.”

Ward One’s Ed Donohue agreed with the mayor in supporting the strictest of the three draft policies.

Ward Two’s Bob Landry said, “I have deep respect for the American flag. I think the only flags that should be on a flag pole that the American flag is flying on are government flags.” Mr. Landry suggested having flagpoles at other locations where other flags could be flown.

An option presented by the mayor would allow commemorative flags on a single designated flagpole on city-owned property separate from the City Hall pole.

Ward Five’s Mary Gooden voiced support for that option but specified, “I would not want to have just any old flag hanging. It has to be a flag of meaning that we’re all in agreement with.”

Mr. Cardinale, of Adirondack Pride, balked at the separate pole option.

Addressing the Council after the members spoke, he said, “If we move away from a flagpole at City Hall, that’s lessening the value of putting a Pride flag up. It’s not showing that the city is supportive. It’s just a flag in the middle of a park.”

Mr. Cardinale said, “We are requesting a Pride flag, which is nationally recognized and put up by hundreds of cities across the nation, in Washington D.C., and here at the State Capitol….

“This is something that we’ve been requesting for over a year, and the city has seemed very reluctant to do so.”

Councilman-At-Large Jim Clark Jr. said he wanted to read all three policy drafts before making a statement.

The mayor’s three draft options are:

1. Fly only U.S., state, and POW/MIA flags.

2. Be open to flying another flag on the City Hall flagpole if a Council member proposes it and the Council agrees.

3. Be open to flying another flag on another designated flagpole but not the one in front of City Hall.

Also at the meeting, Mayor Collins distributed to Council members a draft policy regarding banners. It would only allow banners that “convey a noncommercial message and promote civic events with a direct connection to the city of Glens Falls” on city-owned banner sites.

The Common Council next meets on Tuesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m.

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