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Resident presses board over missing Juneteenth flags; mayor points to Lions Club program
Summary
A resident asked why flags were not displayed on Juneteenth along US-1 and whether the town subsidizes the program. Mayor and staff said the Aberdeen Lions Club runs the flag program by subscription and the town does not place flags, though donations are made; commissioners agreed to follow up.
During "other public comments" and again under other business, a resident raised concerns about the absence of flags on US-1 for Juneteenth and asked whether the town pays the Lions Club to place flags on federal holidays.
The resident said a June 19 call with the mayor and town staff left unanswered questions about who installs flags and whether the town subsidizes the service. He asked how many years the program has been running and how many checks have been written to the Lions Club for the service.
Mayor and staff responded that the Aberdeen Lions Club runs the flag program and that the town does not place the flags itself. The mayor said, "If you want to know who puts the flags out, call the Aberdeen Lions Club," and explained that flag placement in neighborhoods runs by subscription and that the Lions Club has historically handled the US-1 displays. Commissioners said the town does make donations to local nonprofits, and staff noted that the town budget contains donations to groups such as the Lions and the Friends of the Aberdeen Library.
Board members said they would follow up in August to review the concern that had been raised and to determine whether any administrative or budget clarifications are needed. The conversation also returned to broader downtown concerns — several commissioners reiterated that downtown vacancies and stalled renovations remain a priority for the board.
Quote: Mayor (speaker 1): "If you want to know who puts the flags out, call the Aberdeen Lions Club."
Next steps: Commissioners recommended staff review the flag program's history and any town donations related to flag displays and report back at a future meeting.
