It is ironic that this year, as Battle Ground residents celebrate the 75th anniversary of a community named after a battle that never happened, we find ourselves in the midst of a very real cultural and political battle. The Mayor of Battle Ground has chosen to enter the fray through a very public act.
Despite advice to the contrary, the mayor placed two proclamations on the June 1st City Council Agenda:
“Supporting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement” and “Recognizing the Federal Designation of ANTIFA as a Domestic Terrorist Organization”. Both are clearly partisan in nature and include easily disprovable claims with the effect – most likely intentional – of exacerbating deep divides in our community.
State law requires city elections and primaries to be nonpartisan, and Battle Ground’s Governance Coordination Manual states that proclamations are ceremonial recognitions, not statements of policy.
The placement of the two proclamations on the June 1st agenda resulted in a protest outside of City Hall and an overflow crowd inside the building. After a motion to remove the proclamations from the agenda failed, the mayor, seeing that over 60 Battle Ground residents had signed up to testify during the Community Comments portion of the meeting, ruled that comments would be limited to one minute.
As a bit of background, the mayor recently rejected a proclamation proposal seeking designation of June as Pride Month in Battle Ground. Excuses reportedly ranged from a desire to stay away from controversial proclamations to claims that the LGBTQ+ population is a small segment of the population (the contradictions and inconsistencies were called out by several speakers at the recent Council Meeting).
When exceptions to proclamation guidelines are made, and when requests are denied, it tells the public a great deal about whether our city leadership is committed to serving the entire community equally.
Whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or nonreligious, we all believe in community. Whether we are gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, or anything else, we all share this town, its natural beauty, and its future. Whether we arrived recently or have lived here for generations, we all care about preserving what makes Battle Ground special while preparing responsibly for growth.
The role of the City Council, especially the Mayor, is not to choose sides in divisive political debates. Their role is to serve the whole community in a nonpartisan manner—Battle Ground belongs to all of us!
Gary Obermeyer
Battle Ground
•••
Letters To The Editor
Email: letters@thereflector.com
Mail: The Reflector, Attention: Letters to the Editor,
209 E Main St., Suite 121, Battle Ground, WA 98604
