Who will pay for our new flag?

The recent article in the Dodge County Independent titled “Changing of State Flag is Short-sighted” written by Sheriff Scott Rose was spot-on. The only thing I might add is the expected costs to implement these changes and who will ultimately be stuck paying for it.
Per state statue, the state agencies and local governments that use the Minnesota state seal and flag have to cover the costs for updating them. Not only that, the statue dictates they need to update the depiction and use of these new state symbols by Jan. 1, 2025. This is another example of an unfunded mandate passed by the Democrats that is going to turn into a costly burden to state agencies and local government entities to make this switch.
There is a state seal around every corner that will need to be changed and at a cost. Imagine all of the state and county offices that have the current seal on their letterheads and official documents that will need to be changed. Why, even the bill signed by Governor Walz to change the state’s seal and flag had the state seal on it. Then there is all the signage, logos on vehicles, and even state and county employee uniforms that will need to be changed. Not to mention all the state and county website redesign work that will be required.
The cost to implement these changes will effectively take away funds from the real work that needs to be done in our state. For one example, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office alone estimates it will cost them over $500,000 to implement this change. When our state agencies and local governments find they cannot afford this change, they will be forced to go to our state legislature to help fund this. Moreover, since the state of Minnesota is already projecting to see a $2.3 billion budget deficit in Fiscal Year 2026-27, guess what, our taxes will rise.
I honestly could care less what the flag and seal look like, but I do care how my tax dollars are being wasted in this state. And if this lunacy were only limited to our state government, that would be bad enough but even now on a local level there is the new, non-descript and meaningless Owatonna “branding.”. In their attempt not to offend anyone, they are offending everyone!
Glen Wolf
Owatonna