JULY 18, 2026 — The City of Albany, New York, has initiated a public campaign to redesign its century-old flag, citing outdated and controversial imagery, says News 10 ABC.
Managed by the Task Force on the Municipal Flag, a seven-member body appointed by the Albany Common Council in March 2024, the initiative seeks to replace the current design, which officials note has flown for over 100 years.
Task force officials have specifically targeted elements of the existing flag that they deem inappropriate for the modern era. Bryan Fonder, the vice-chair of the task force, stated that the flag contains “depictions of Native Americans that we don’t want to see in the 21st century.”
Fonder also questioned the inclusion of the word “assiduity” on the flag, noting that while it means thoroughness, it is an obsolete term that “no one knows what it means.”
The ordinance establishing the task force mandates a public submission period lasting at least two months. According to promotional materials and task force guidelines, the contest is open to all members of the public, including children under 13 with parental consent. Submissions may be entered on the city website.
To prevent the submission of automated entries, the task force has explicitly banned the use of artificial intelligence tools. “We don’t want AI,” Fonder stated.
Following the close of the submission window, the task force is allotted one month to evaluate the designs based on a formalized rubric. The task force will then narrow the pool to a maximum of five finalists.
The ultimate decision will rest with Albany residents, including resident minors authorized by a guardian, who will vote on the final selection via a public survey.
The winning design will then be presented to the Common Council for formal adoption. Task force chair James Sottile indicated that the group intends to engage local schools during the autumn submission process, with the objective of finalizing and implementing the new municipal flag by 2027.
