As a citizen who was born in Utica and who has much love for the city. It saddens me that a city I love so much has such a poorly designed flag. I have made many designs and have already spoken to the council about changing it. I would love the support of the people too. Let’s push for a better flag to help represent Utica and its history! I was born in Utica and later moved out due to the condition of the city. Now with the revitalization of the city and Utica entering a new era in history, it is time to update the flag and bring it into a modern era. Changing the flag of Utica will differentiate the city from other cities across NY. A new more well designed flag could also bring about more pride for the city and could also be used as a marker for goods made within the city. I’ve designed a black and yellow 2 strip flag with 5, 6 Pointed stars The colors yellow and black aren’t just used because they contrast well together but the yellow represents the gold of the gold dome bank and the black represents industry in Utica. The two stripes represent the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal. Each star represents an iconic and historic cites in Utica. Stanley theater, Union station, Munson-Williams, gold dome bank, and the Matt Brewing company. The 6 pointed stars were used to represent 6 important parts in the history of Utica. French and Indian war, establishment in 1798, Utica established as a textile hub, Utica’s role in the Underground Railroad, Utica’s role during the WWII war effort, and modern day history of the revitalization of the city. I do not find the current flag offensive but I’d like to put an end to seals being used of flags. #keepsealsonpaper please note that this is only to change the flag of the city, the seal used for the city will continue to be used.