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The Ottumwa City Council held a special work session to address growing concerns over proclamations and establish clear procedures for handling future requests, with discussions revealing significant challenges the current process has created for the community on Tuesday, August 26th, 2025.
Council members expressed serious concerns about the negative attention proclamations have brought to the city. Councilwoman Galloway highlighted the potential risks, mentioning the possibility of losing grants and even people leaving the community due to controversies surrounding proclamations.
“There’s sides to everything,” Galloway noted, explaining how proclamations have become detrimental to the community rather than serving their intended purpose of recognition and celebration.
City Administrator Philip Rath suggested a significant change to current practices, proposing the complete removal of proclamations from City Council meetings. The Administrator noted that in many other communities, only the Mayor has the authority to decide which proclamations are issued, and even brought up removing proclamations entirely. The Administrator characterized proclamations as having become “a political hotpoint,” suggesting that the current system has created more division than unity.
Council members expressed varying views on how proclamations should be handled moving forward.
Councilman Caviness believes the Council should maintain input on proclamations, while Councilman Reid agreed and emphasized the need for agreement among Council members before issuing any proclamation.
Councilman Hoffman focused on establishing clear criteria, stating how it’s all about the criteria we set out. He also emphasized that elected officials should have input in the process, arguing that those who were elected by the community should have a voice in proclamation decisions.
Previously, the Mayor had discretion to issue mayoral proclamations without requiring city Council approval. The public would ask in a split of approximately 75-25 in favor of making mayoral proclamations beforehand according to the Mayor, where there was no need to involve the City Council.
However, the Council identified several issues with the current system. One significant problem was that proclamations were included as part of the main agenda rather than being voted on as separate items, which created complications when council members disagreed with proclamations but supported other agenda items being voted on simultaneously.
The Council also established that if even one member disagrees with a proclamation, it should be considered controversial, making unanimous or near-unanimous support necessary.
Council members clarified an important distinction between proclamations and the events they recognize. As one person noted, events would happen regardless of proclamation status – the proclamation simply indicates whether the event has official support from the Mayor and City Council.
After extensive discussion, the Council reached an agreement to draft a new policy that would give the Council exclusive authority to vote yes or no on city proclamations. This approach somewhat mirrors what Cedar Falls implemented, except switching around the roles of the Mayor and the City Council. In Cedar Falls, the Mayor has full authority, meanwhile with this new policy to be voted on soon, it would be only the City Council. Also, the Council decided that all members should be aware of any proclamation recommendations before decisions are made, ensuring transparency in the process.
The city clerk has been tasked with drafting the new policy, with a target completion date of the second council meeting in September, scheduled for September 16th.
The special session reflects the broader challenge many communities face in balancing recognition and celebration with avoiding political controversy. The council’s decision to maintain involvement in proclamation decisions, rather than delegating authority solely to the Mayor, suggests a commitment to collaborative governance while attempting to establish clearer guidelines to prevent future controversies.
The new policy, if implemented after being voted upon, will represent a significant shift in how Ottumwa handles proclamations, prioritizing Council consensus.
Edited to make a correction
