Changes and limits are being recommended to the City of Windsor's flag-raising policy as a way to 'stick to the basics.'
The current flag, building illumination, and proclamation policy was approved by the council in 2022, and following a scheduled review, administration is now recommending city council approve several proposed revisions to limit the flags that may be raised to just the Canadian, Ontario, City of Windsor, and the Franco-Ontarian while also providing flexibility to recognize visiting official delegations.
According to the report, the new policy would also fully eliminate the illumination and proclamation programs.
Several reasons are being cited for the proposed changes, including the staff time required to vet each request and the potential for reputational risks if mistakes are made.
City Clerk Steve Vlachodimos says what they were finding was that it took time to do their due diligence and proper research.
"You don't want to have to rely on the internet as your source of information. Usually, these requests are short notice. That's a risk because you risk offending someone, you put the corporation at risk, and you put the City of Windsor at risk if you approve a request that's in contravention of the criteria," he says.
Past flag-raisings have included the Detroit Lions flag to support the NFL team and the rainbow flag during Pride events.
"Nothing is to stop these hardworking groups in our community from inviting the mayor and members of council to their events. They can certainly put those requests in, and it would be up to the individual members of the council, if they so choose, to go to one of their events," he says.
Under the current policy, a request is denied if it includes matters of political controversy, ideological or religious beliefs, or individual conviction; it contravenes corporate policies or bylaws; it defames the integrity of the City of Windsor; it is intended for commercial or profit-making purposes; or it is intended to influence federal, provincial, or municipal government policy.
Vlachodimos says we live in a time with a lot of information and misinformation out there.
"It's really hard to do the proper research and the due diligence," he says. "I think this protects the corporation; it protects the City of Windsor's reputation as well, and you don't want to offend anyone. It's just evening the playing field and sticking to the basics."
Since the current policy was adopted, a total of 425 applications for illumination, proclamation, or flag raising have been processed. Of these, 345 were approved, 79 denied, and 1 withdrawn by the requestor.
Windsor council meets at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 26, at Windsor City Hall.