Inver Grove Heights is getting ready to decide whether to trade in Minnesota’s new state flag for the old one. On Monday, April 27, 2026, the City Council is set to consider a resolution that would take down the state’s redesigned flag at city facilities and replace it with the 1983 version. The change would apply to six state flags on city property and is already tucked into the council packet for next week’s regular meeting, complete with a staff memo that lays out the projected cost and timing if the swap gets the green light. The debate comes as a growing number of Minnesota towns have recently voted to bring back the older design.
What the resolution would do
If the measure passes, city staff would be directed to pull down the newer statewide design and hoist the 1983 flag in its place at all six locations. A memo in the council packet pegs the purchase and installation cost at about $3,000, with an expected delivery and installation window of roughly four to eight weeks, as reported by FOX 9. The item is on the council’s regular agenda for Monday night and could receive an up-or-down vote at that meeting.
Meeting logistics
The council will convene at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026, in Council Chambers at City Hall, 8150 Barbara Avenue, according to the city calendar. For residents who would rather keep their seats on the couch, the meeting will be cablecast and streamed by the local public-access provider. The city’s Agendas & Minutes page also explains how residents can file written comments ahead of time if they prefer to weigh in without stepping up to the podium.
Why the design is disputed
Minnesota’s new flag came out of a public design contest run by the State Emblems Redesign Commission, which made the change official in May 2024 after reviewing 2,128 submissions, according to the commission’s final report. The Secretary of State’s office and the commission said the update was meant to move away from imagery that critics argued showed Indigenous people being displaced by settlers. That rationale, and the way the new look was selected, has fueled much of the local-level resistance now surfacing in places like Inver Grove Heights.
Part of a wider trend
If Inver Grove Heights goes ahead, it would align itself with a string of Minnesota cities that have already opted to restore the 1983 banner. That list includes a recent move in Elk River and a March vote in Zumbrota. The Star Tribune reported on Elk River’s decision, while local TV coverage highlighted Zumbrota’s March action. Backers in those communities point to tradition and local say in what flies over city buildings. Critics counter that flipping back undercuts a statewide process that was designed to address longstanding concerns about the old imagery.
What to watch for Monday
Residents can expect some public testimony and a brief staff rundown if the council pulls the item for discussion. From there, members could approve the resolution, kick it to a committee for more review, or table it for another day. If they vote to proceed, staff would begin the purchasing process outlined in the packet and schedule the flagpole change-out according to the memo’s timeline. Whichever way the vote goes, the outcome will mostly be symbolic, yet it still carries a modest price tag and will add a bit of extra work for city staff.
