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Detroit Lakes council votes to fly no Minnesota flag after heated public hearing
Summary
After a two-hour public comment session split between supporters of the new state flag, defenders of the traditional flag and residents urging no flag, the Detroit Lakes City Council voted — in a roll-call tie broken by the mayor — to fly no Minnesota flag at city facilities.
The Detroit Lakes City Council voted on a motion that the city "not fly either flag" — meaning neither the new official Minnesota flag nor the traditional Minnesota flag — after an extended public hearing that drew more than a dozen residents and divided the council.
The debate grew out of a prior council action regarding flying the new state flag. Council members reopened the matter and heard public comment from residents who urged a range of outcomes: keep the new official flag, restore the traditional flag with historical imagery, or fly no state flag at all. Speakers cited democratic legitimacy of the state process, historical symbolism, concerns about outside influence, tourism impacts and inclusiveness.
During the council discussion, members repeatedly characterized the issue as fundamentally a state decision and urged residents who disagreed to contact their state legislators. After a roll-call vote produced an evenly split council, Mayor Brink cast the deciding vote in favor of the motion that no Minnesota flag be flown at city facilities; the mayor’s tie-breaking vote made the motion carry.
The decision means city buildings in Detroit Lakes will not display either the newly adopted official Minnesota flag or the traditional Minnesota flag pending any future council action. City officials said the motion was taken after extended public comment and careful deliberation and that the council expects any change to be brought back if a new consensus emerges.
What happens next: the council did not set a follow-up schedule in the meeting minutes; members and the public were urged during debate to raise the matter with state legislators if they seek a statewide change.
Quote reflecting the hearing: "I urge you to respect a democratic process," said a speaker who described the commission process that led to the new state flag. Another resident said of the traditional banner, "History stands for itself. It should be recognized."
