DECEMBER 6, 2025 — In Virginia, a proposal by Loudoun County Chair Phyllis J. Randall to augment the county’s nearly six-decade-old flag by adding the official county seal is stirring discussion within the local governing body and among those focused on flag design, according to a report by Loudoun Now.
The suggested change, intended to increase the banner’s identifiability, passed an initial vote on Tuesday, directing staff to investigate the associated costs and implementation timeline.
The current flag, in use since 1968, features a green, white, and red design rich in agricultural and historical symbolism. Its central imagery, derived from the coat of arms of John Campbell, the 4th Earl of Loudoun, incorporates hay sheaves and milk droplets, reflecting the county’s heritage as a farming community. The design also includes an embattled, or castle-like, border, a feature intended to acknowledge the county’s historical ties to President James Monroe and the Monroe Doctrine.
Chair Randall (D-At Large) argues that while the existing design is unique, it fails the critical test of quick identification. “When we go to the Virginia Association of Counties, all the flags are up there… Most of them are just a county seal on a blank background, which I think just looks terrible. But they’re all up there and you know whose flag it is. But with ours you don’t.”
“Almost every state has their name or seal on their flag, because you’re not going to know. And every single county in Virginia has their name or seal on the flag… I want people to know who we are both for commercial reasons, for marketing reasons, and for obvious reasons,” she concluded.
The proposal to research the feasibility of the change received broad support from the board, passing with an 8-1 margin. However, Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) cast the sole dissenting vote, characterizing the effort as misplaced priority.
Image: Loudoun Now
