BOISE, Idaho — The city of Boise is in the final stages of picking a new flag, and the final four designs have stirred up a considerable amount of controversy among residents. The new flag, which is set to replace the current design adopted in 1989, will be the official symbol of the city.
Idaho News 6 took to the streets this week to gather opinions from Boise residents to see if the city is on the right track or perhaps needs to start over.
RELATED: Boise invites public to vote on new city flag designs
One resident expressed their lukewarm feelings about the new designs. “I saw these online yesterday, and they're okay,” the resident said. “I don't know why they're changing it, because, one, it doesn't say Boise. Nothing about the flags actually say Boise. They're just kind of colors, so I don't know. They don't do anything for me. I just don't know why these are the ones they went with.”
There are four finalists, and the winner will be chosen on the 18th of this month, which is just 10 days away. The selected design will serve as the symbol of the city of Boise.
Another resident had a more positive outlook on the designs. “I like the green and blue. I like all four of them. I think all four are very nice,” he said.
It's worth noting that none of the final designs include imagery of the state Capitol. According to the city, “some elements like the Capitol building no longer fully represent Boise's identity or the diverse culture of its community today.”
Additionally, the rules for the new flag state that it will not include any lettering or seals in order to keep the design simple. Another resident shared their perspective on this simplicity. “I like them. I think they’re a little too simple, personally. But I like this one. I think it’s kind of cute."
However, simplicity didn't seem to please everyone. “I think they look kind of boring,” said another resident. “They don’t really have much depth to them. They just look very plain and simple. I think they’re simple and straightforward and a little boring.”
There are also some residents who are deeply unhappy with the new designs, going as far as creating an online petition, which has garnered nearly 500 signatures. The petition calls for more finalists to be included or for the city to revert to the original flag design.
The final design is set to be chosen on April 18.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
