By Brooklynn Wong
The tenure of the City of Anaheim’s new flag may soon come to a rapid end.
Adopted only a year ago, the new flag may soon be on its way out. The city received over 100 submissions from the community last year when it put out a request for ideas for a new flag. They chose one, dark and light blue, with a circle of stars, and implemented it on Aug. 28, 2018.
But public comment from residents and city officials alike shows that Anaheim misses its grand old flag that adorned the city for over 50 years.
The original flag was adopted in 1967 and was the official banner of the city until last year.
But many were unhappy with the new one. One resident said it “was a mistake,” and Mayor Harry Sidhu said when he was campaigning last year, he heard complaints about the new flag, and in reference to it, people asked, “What are you doing to our history?”
At a City Council Meeting last month, Mayor Pro Tem Lucille Kring proposed reinstating the old flag.
It was agendized and then discussed at last week’s meeting, but the Council ultimately decided to postpone a decision until the next meeting, August 27, when Councilman Steve Faessel, who is active in preserving the city’s history, will be back. He was absent for last week’s meeting.
According to the staff report, reinstating the original flag would cost the city between five and seven thousand dollars, as they would need to produce new flags for all city facilities. But the fiscal year 2019/20 budget does allow for that, with funds available in the Public Works budget and elsewhere, for implementing the transition and ongoing maintenance of city flags.
