Bowling Green commissioners vote in favor of new flag ordinance

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- The mayor of Bowling Green will likely need the permission from the rest of the city commission the next time the elected leader decides to remove American flags from city properties.

The city commission voted Tuesday, 5-0, on a new ordinance making it mandatory that the mayor seeks input from the rest of the commission before a flag is removed from a property owned by the city. Mayor Bruce Wilkerson voted in favor of the ordinance.

The ordinance comes in response to Wilkerson’s order to temporarily remove the flags from all city properties on Friday, June 19. Wilkerson said he was trying to protect the flags after learning “outside groups would be coming through the area.”

When pressed by Commissioner Slim Nash as to why he made the decision, Wilkerson said he would get back to Nash in an email with the answers to his questions.

The move sparked backlash from many area residents, resulting in protests outside the Bowling Green Police Department and Bowling Green City Hall.

The second and final reading of the ordinance will take place at the next commission meeting on July 21.