An attempt to override Mount Vernon mayor Tom Wieseler’s veto of changes to the flag policy by the city failed in a 3-2 vote. Council members Paul Tuerler and Stephanie West provided the no votes. Overturning of a mayoral veto requires a four out of five council member vote to pass.
Tuerler, who was once mayor, said he understood the importance of utilizing a veto, having used one before for the Mount Vernon Fire Station and community center funding vote, when the split for funding was not where he felt that should have been.
“I know that decision was not done lightly by Tom, especially when this is a topic of passion for a lot of people,” Tuerler said.
Tuerler said from his following up on the May 20 meeting, he is certain that the veto wasn’t against bringing forward or adding any flags to this policy, but rather to give the council, administration and city time to work through what decisions might look like in the long term.
“I support Tom’s veto and look forward to when we as a council are able to review these changes as needed,” Tuerler said. “I do not support an override of the veto.” Citizen Keith Huebner spoke in opposition to the flag policy, noting since the 10 months of passing that the council had wasted $10,000 for flag poles to have inclusive flags flown on a pole. “I’m deeply offended by Tom’s veto,” Huebner said. “My preference is we fly a Mustang flag and get rid of the division in the community.” Huebner said the city should fly the flag supporting Jewish Americans, and also that of other nations in the Middle East. Tuerler pushed back that the city would not be flying a flag of another nation, but a flag honoring a specific group. Janice Binder, a former Mount Vernon resident, spoke up and said that she had children who were beat up in school for being Jewish.
“I think singling out one ethnic group for being in existence is not the message you want to send,” Binder said. She said there is a lot of hate in the world and many of those who are Jewish American have intersectionalities with other groups rep resented by flags being flown in the community. “Please do not say it is okay to discriminate for any other group of people,” Binder said.
Council member Mark Andresen made the motion to override, and Tuerler seconded the motion to force the issue to a vote.
Wieseler reiterated that his veto now wasn’t a veto on the flag entirely, but was in wanting a full calendar year when it comes to the flag policy before any changes or amendments are made.
“It just means I don’t agree with this right now,” Wieseler said. “It’s not a veto forever, just a veto for this at the moment.”
West also said she thinks the veto was correct. She doesn’t disagree with the flag personally, but would like to see the full calendar year of flags to see if there are others that are brought up that also need to be added in the future.
“I think a year end review is the best way to address this,” West said. Council member Scott Rose asked a clarification question if the meeting for year end review on the flag policy would need multiple meetings, and city administrator Chris Nosbisch said that could be approved in a single meeting.