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Montrose council to put choice of Minnesota flags on November ballot, removes state flags until vote
Summary
After extended public comment and debate, the Montrose City Council voted unanimously to place a question on the November ballot asking residents to choose between the old and new Minnesota state flags and to remove state flags from city property until voters decide.
The Montrose City Council voted unanimously to put a ballot question before voters in November asking whether the city should fly the old Minnesota state flag or the design adopted most recently. The council also approved a temporary removal of state flags from city property until the election.
Richard Nordling, a resident speaking during public comment, asked the council to discuss restoring the older state flag and said many local governments have kept the older design. That prompted an extended debate among council members about whether the city should fly the old flag, the new flag or no state flag at all.
Supporters of restoring the old design argued the previous flag “represents Minnesota” and said residents were not given a choice when the state design changed; one councilmember moved to remove the current flag and replace it with the old one. Opponents and others urged caution, saying the issue risked dividing residents and that the city should represent the whole community rather than taking a position on a contested state symbol.
Some council members raised a practical concern about state funding: one speaker warned that proposed state actions could reduce Local Government Aid (LGA) to communities that fly the old flag. In response, a coalition representative later told the council his organization would oppose punitive actions at the state level, but council discussion emphasized the potential local budget consequences.
Faced with competing views, the mayor (speaker 1) moved to submit the question to voters in November and to remove state flags from city property in the interim; the motion was seconded and passed 5-0. The council directed staff to include the ballot question for the November election and to confirm any procedural or statutory requirements for implementing the temporary removal.
The council’s action records the decision as a voter-driven resolution: the final policy change will depend on the outcome of the November vote.
What’s next: The council instructed staff to prepare ballot language and handle logistics for placing the question on the November ballot. The temporary removal of state flags from city property is effective immediately pending the election outcome.
