Clovis will display ‘In God We Trust’ in council chamber with private funding
After five months of research and discussions, the Clovis City Council voted to display “In God We Trust” in the council chamber.
The council voted 5-0 on Monday to add the national motto above the council dais, joining other Fresno-area government bodies, such as the Fresno City Council, that already publicly display it.
The funding for installing the display will come from private donations, according to the motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Diane Pearce.
The proposal was brought to the council by dozens of residents in early September. The group launched its effort after the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted in August to display the national motto in its boardroom.
Bill Scott, one of the members of the group, told the council at a Jan. 12 meeting that they had gathered 341 signatures in support of the item.
Since September, the council had multiple rounds of discussions about the topic, including four “Meeting with Mayor” events. Supporters said “In God We Trust” represents the nation’s founding principles and reflects the traditional values held by Clovis residents, while opponents argued that the national motto has fallen behind in representing the diversity of America, and that government agencies should not endorse any particular religion.
In a survey conducted by the city this year, 68% of the 508 respondents said they supported adding the national motto to the council chamber. Half of those respondents were previously unaware of the issue. About 42% of respondents supported displaying the phrase “We the People” on the chamber walls as well.
A week before the decision was made, Lynne Ashbeck, a long-time councilmember who served since 2001, requested that the council postpone the item and first establish policies and guardrails for decorating the council chamber.
“I feel like if we don’t have guardrails about what we’re trying to do here, that we are not going to have any way to manage this going forward, and there’s not going to be any history up here to be able to pass along,” Ashbeck said at the Feb. 2 council meeting.
Some residents criticized Ashbeck for slowing down the item.
“To me, that was kind of a pretty chicken poop move to do that at the very end, right? We’ve been talking about this in September,” Scott said. “My suggestion is, the procedure should be you now all have the chance to say, ‘I’m for this’ or ‘I’m against this,’ and vote on it. If three of you say yes, it passes. You don’t get three, it doesn’t pass. That’s the procedure.”
Scott said he has been drumming up support over the last few weeks to fund the installation, and he’s confident that there is enough interest in the community to raise the full amount.
Another Clovis resident, Eric Rollins, said he was disappointed with Ashbeck’s proposal and that an item reflecting residents’ wishes has gone through too much red tape.
“We jumped over hoops that we don’t normally jump through to make this move towards this decision,” Rollins said. “So we spent Clovis money, taxpayer money, to come to this conclusion, and suddenly, we had a council member who went, ‘Wait, no, we need a plan,’ rather than leading.”
Ashbeck responded that she wasn’t trying to be difficult, but thought that the council should have a thoughtful discussion. Clovis doesn’t act on impulse and doesn’t blindly follow just because others do elsewhere, she said.
“I will support this motion. I have deep concerns about the motivation and the politics. I’m not happy about that, but I will support the action of the council because I’m not going to argue about this of all things,” Ashbeck said.
Clovis has nearly 130,000 residents, and only 300 people came to the council, thinking this is a good idea, Ashbeck said.
“I’m not going to oppose this motion. I think it is another incremental change in our city, and that’s probably what happens over time,” Ashbeck said. “But I respect the people who are not here that said it’s not a good idea. They have a voice too, and they’re just not in the room.”
Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua said he’s comfortable with the number of people who support it, and he appreciates the citizens who will be willing to fund the display.
“I’ve never seen in my eight years on this council, anything ever having 100%, even if it was to put in a brand-new park where everything was free, and even then there’s someone who’s just like, oh, there’s 2% of the people who didn’t like it,” Mouanoutoua said. “So our decision is never for 100%, it has never been, and will never be.”
