'Trump 2020' flag sparks debate over resident's rights to fly political flags any time of the year
‘Trump 2020’ flag sparks debate over resident’s rights to fly political flags any time of the year
A woman in Prescott Valley may inspire a change in city ordinance when it comes to flying political flags after she is threatened with hundreds of dollars in fines for not taking down a "Trump 2020" flag.
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - A Prescott Valley woman was told she has to take down her Trump flag, and it wasn’t her Home Owners Association telling her to do so, it's the city.
In December, Tawney Baccellia was told she had to take down her "Trump 2020" flag that’s flying in her backyard because it’s against city ordinance. She says she was told if she doesn’t take it down, she’d face hundreds of dollars in fines.
“It was shocking that someone would try to tell me what I can and can’t fly in my own yard,” she said.
After talking with code enforcement, she was told the reasoning for the violation was you can only fly a political flag 60 days before a campaign and 30 days after. You also can't have any flag flying beneath the American Flag.
In her corner is Prescott Valley Mayor Kell Palguta, saying, "She’s demonstrating her first amendment right, she has every right to and who are we to tell her no.”
Palguta says the codes are outdated and need to be changed, so he's already in the process of drafting a new ordinance.
“15 to 20 years ago, novelty flags weren’t very popular. You didn’t see 'thin blue line flags' or 'thin red line flags,' you just saw an American flag, he said. "As times have changed, the town needs to catch up and we need to change a little bit.”
Baccellia says until something changes, her Trump flag will remain flying.
By February, there should be a new ordinance once city council votes on the amendments.