Ahead of a high-profile November referendum on changing the design of Maine’s state flag, many Mainers may not even know how many flags currently fly outside government buildings and how much they cost.
The answers to both questions are not very big. They come ahead of voters deciding Nov. 5 whether to replace the current flag featuring the state seal with one similar to the original state flag in place from 1901 to 1909 that features a pine tree and blue star on a buff background.
Just seven locations in the capital area of Augusta have official state of Maine flags, according to Department of Administrative and Financial Services spokesperson Sharon Huntley. They are replaced about every two years or more often if they become tattered due to damage from storms, for example, Huntley said.
Two locations use flags that are 5 feet by 8 feet and cost around $95 each, according to Huntley, and the other five locations use smaller flags that cost roughly $55 each. The Property Management Division within the Bureau of General Services maintains the state flags and currently has 10 of the larger and four of the smaller flags available as needed, Huntley said.
Annin Flagmakers, a New Jersey-based company that bills itself as the country’s oldest and largest flag manufacturer, produced the Maine flags currently in stock, Huntley said.
Huntley did not have figures available for state buildings in other areas of Maine that are responsible for purchasing and replacing their flags. Skeptics of changing the flag have questioned whether it would impose huge costs on the state, but officials have said any costs could be “absorbed within existing budgeted resources” if flags are gradually replaced.
The state flag referendum, or Question 5 on the ballot, has drawn passionate debates and polling in September that showed Maine voters were split 40 percent to 40 percent on voting yes or no, with 20 percent undecided at the time. The poll revealed slightly more support among Democrats and 1st District voters than among Republicans and 2nd District voters.
Supporters of changing the flag over the years have argued the pine tree design is more distinct than the current one similar to a handful of other state flags, while defenders of the state seal design depicting a farmer, moose and seaman believe it honors Maine’s heritage.
