PROVO – Provo has a new city flag.

Some may have forgotten it was a work in progress.

Following two full years of discussions, resident comments and drawings, blogs and more vetting, the Municipal Council selected the symbol Tuesday that will represent Provo on the city’s flagpoles. 

Deputy Mayor Corey Norman has somewhat spearheaded the project. The process eventually led to a three-member committee of Provo’s resident vexillogist, Jason Bates, former councilwoman Sherrie Hall Everett and Councilman Stephen Hales.

The flag debacle has also been a thorn in the side of many residents who have commented through Facebook and other media platforms that there surely must be more important things than fussing over the city’s flag.

“Who knew that a flag would cause so much discussion?” said Mayor John Curtis on his blog. “This reminds me a little bit of branding — the more that’s suggested, the more snarky remarks a potential design receives.

“I suppose that’s why I should be grateful for thick skin.”

The first Provo flag was produced in 1965. It was red and blue with a large white P for Provo taking up a good portion of the flag, with ‘1849’ in white in the lower right-hand corner.

That flag was used until 1985, when Mayor Joe Jenkins introduced the current flag. It has a white field and a rainbow bar with Provo written above it. The rainbow on the flag represents the eclectic and diverse nature of the city.

“The flag is one part of the branding of a city,” Hales said. “It needs to be well integrated in the way the city promotes itself.”

After all the many ideas the mayor has received for a city flag, it was the city logo on a field of blue that became the final selection.

“This is an exciting day for Provo,” said Gary Garrett, the newly elected council chairman.

The Vexillological Association notes there are key design principles in making a flag, including: keep it so simple a child can draw it; use symbols unique to a city or area; limit colors to three that contrast well; no lettering or seals on flags; and make it distinctive from other flags.

According to Hales, the flag fulfills nearly all of those requirements.