FOLLOWING CONTROVERSY surrounding past decisions on commemorative flag requests like the raising of a Pride flag, San Joaquin County’s Board of Supervisors voted this week to establish a committee tasked with reviewing the county’s flag policy and returning to the board with recommendations for possible changes to it.
In 2023, a proposal in the county to fly the Pride flag representing the LGBTQ+ community outside the County Administration Building in Stockton was narrowly rejected when it only gathered three of the four votes it needed to pass from the five-member board. Then-Supervisor Tom Patti opposed the motion, citing a belief that only the American flag should be displayed.
Under the county’s current policy, commemorative flags — flags recognizing specific events, causes, nationalities, or communities — require approval by at least four out of five supervisors. These flags are intended as official expressions of the county, not a platform for public free speech, according to the policy.
Supervisor Mario Gardea proposed the creation of an ad hoc, or temporary, committee to establish a more thoughtful framework for considering commemorative flag use.
“In recent years, Board members have received numerous requests from community groups to display commemorative or specialty flags on certain dates,” Gardea wrote, emphasizing the need for a more “structured and consistent approach” to evaluating such requests.
County Counsel Edward Kiernan cautioned that the committee must consider the potential for flag requests representing “hate groups and others.” He pointed to the Confederate flag as an example.
The Board of Supervisors approved the creation of the ad hoc committee in a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Steven Ding opposed. Ding also voted against flying the Pride flag in 2023.
Gardea and Supervisor Sonny Dhaliwal will serve as members on the committee, which will return to the full board at a date yet to be determined to make its recommendations.
