AUGUST 29, 2026 — The city council of Tacoma, Washington, is scheduled to vote on a proposal to fund a public competition for a new city flag design, reports the News Tribune.
They are aiming to replace a seal-on-bedsheet banner that has faced criticism from vexillological organizations.
Sponsored by Council Member John Hines, the initiative requests a $6,000 allocation to cover operational expenses and prize money, including $2,000 for the winning entry and $1,000 each for two runners-up, and organizers are aiming to unveil the selection before the city hosts the Association of Washington Cities annual conference next summer.
The current banner, adopted in 1991 as part of a municipal corporate identity program, features a navy blue field display of the official city seal, which depicts Mount Rainier alongside Tacoma’s incorporation year. City spokesperson Maria Lee noted that officials selected the seal to reinforce the flag’s official status due to its historic significance.
However, this structure directly conflicts with core design principles established by the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), which advises against placing text, seals, or complex artwork on flags in favour of simple visual symbols. In a 2004 NAVA survey assessing 150 American municipal flags, Tacoma’s design ranked near the bottom at 132nd place.
If approved, the winning proposal will mark the fourth official flag in the history of the municipality. Tacoma adopted its inaugural flag in 1931, featuring a red and yellow backdrop framing a black-and-white city seal developed by local commercial and military committees.
A second iteration, introduced in 1972 and designed by a local civic arts commissioner, depicted a rainbow over Mount Rainier, Commencement Bay, and a seagull. Throughout these stylistic transitions, Mount Rainier has remained the central visual element across all three historical designs.
At present, the 1991 flag sees limited public display and hangs primarily inside the Tacoma Municipal Building’s council chambers.
