Windsor city councillors will be asked on Monday to consider a new flag, building illumination, and proclamation policy.
The city's existing policy was put on hold last November because of construction on the new City Hall Civic Esplanade project. Since then, city staff have reviewed the policy with best practices in other cities.
Since the policy was implemented in 2022, 425 applications have been filed. Of those, city staff approved 345, denied 79, and one was withdrawn.
Each application is reviewed and vetted by the administration to ensure the request isn't divisive, political, or otherwise controversial.
However, many municipalities are adjusting their policies or scrapping them altogether. Lakeshore and Leamington are among those cities and towns which cited the use of staff time and reputational risks.
Others have continued to accept requests with stringent criteria, including London. Chatham-Kent, Hamilton, and Guelph kept the proclamation program, but eliminated applications for flag raisings and building illuminations.
A report to councillors said "it is clear that a revised approach is both warranted and appropriate." It recommends restricting flag raisings to the city flag, the Canadian flag, the Ontario flag, and the Franco-Ontarien flag. Flags honouring visiting delegations would also be allowed.
The city acknowledges that some groups that applied for flag raisings in the past may oppose the change.