Contact: Barbra Hernández, APR, Public Information Manager
Office: 352-438-2310 ▪ Cell: 352-615-5994 ▪ Email: barbra.hernandez@marioncountyfl.org
MARION COUNTY RESTORES FLAGS TO HISTORICAL DISPLAY ON MCPHERSON GOVERNMENTAL COMPLEX
Immediate Release
MARION COUNTY, Fla. (July 11, 2015) – Marion County government officials on Saturday restored two flags to a historical flags display on the McPherson Governmental Complex after unauthorized third-party removal earlier in the day during community demonstrations.
The flags, the "Third National Confederate Flag" and a French flag depicting gold lilies over a blue background, were removed in two separate incidents.
County officials, upon assessing the flags, determined these were in undamaged condition and able to be returned to the display. The display, created in the 1990s to show the flags that once flew over the State of Florida, also features the U.S. Flag, the "Castle and Lion Flag of the King of Spain" and the "Union Flag of Great Britain."
The county has also partnered with the Ocala Police Department to enhance display surveillance at this time in an effort to prevent additional tampering of county property.
The "Third National Confederate Flag" was temporarily removed from the historical display in June, following the devastating church tragedy in Charleston, S.C. The flag was returned to the display this week until the Marion County Commission receives recommendations for the future location of the display and determines the proper course of action. At its July 7 regularly-scheduled meeting, the County Commission authorized staff to seek a partnership with the Marion County Historic Commission for recommendations on the most appropriate context and location in which to display the flags in the future. The Historic Commission serves as an advisory board, and is tasked with arranging, recording and preserving historical material and data.
Because the flag display is located next to a memorial in honor of Marion County’s fallen law enforcement officers, the Board also authorized county staff to gather flags representing each of the law enforcement agencies served by those fallen officers for future, respective display there.
The Board requested Historic Commission and staff feedback by September. The Historic Commission will meet again in August, as there is no meeting scheduled for the month of July. The committee’s recommendations will come before the Board for consideration at a regular Board meeting.
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