Newly elected Clark County Councilor Wil Fuentes proposes removing the invocation from council meetings, sparking a debate on inclusivity and public input. File photo

After discussing, councilors decide to pause a decision on the proposal for ‘a couple of months’

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

It didn’t take newly elected Councilor Wil Fuentes much time to garner some significant attention from observers of the Clark County Council.

Wil Fuentes, Clark County councilor (District 3)

Prior to Tuesday’s council meeting, the first of the new year, Fuentes (District 3) and fellow councilor Matt Little (District 4) were sworn-in to their positions on the council. At Wednesday’s Council Time meeting, Fuentes raised more than a few eyebrows when he suggested the invocation be removed from County Council meetings. Fuentes later added that he believed the councilors should also consider removing the Pledge of Allegiance, although after a discussion he later appeared to rescind that idea.

“The invocation,’’ Fuentes said. “I’d like to consider removing it from these council meetings as I don’t believe that it’s necessary. I just don’t believe that we should be mixing business with religious prayers or anything like that.’’

Councilor Michelle Belkot then pointed out that “the Pledge of Allegiance includes some God.’’

“We should probably be considering removing that as well,’’ Fuentes answered.

“That’s part of the American Pledge of Allegiance,’’ Belkot replied. “And we’re all Americans.’’

“For the sake of time and to be more efficient and to ensure that we’re here to conduct business, I don’t believe that these two items need to be part of the council meetings,’’ Fuentes said.

The councilors discussed the potential removal of the invocation from council meetings, with opinions divided on its necessity and appropriateness. Belkot and other councilors pointed out that invocations are common in council meetings and often non-denominational, with moments of silence being an alternative.

Councilor Glen Yung suggested deferring the decision for a few months to allow new councilors to experience the process and provide input. Councilor Matt Little and others expressed openness to alternatives such as land acknowledgments or general reflections while emphasizing inclusivity and sensitivity to diverse beliefs.

County Manager Kathleen Otto noted that the invocation is not restricted to prayers and can include various forms of reflection, but it has predominantly been prayers due to community preferences. Councilors agreed to explore practices in nearby jurisdictions and consider broader outreach to ensure inclusivity. A resolution on the invocation process will be shared with councilors for review. Otto said that staff will limit their research to local practices and bring findings back for further discussion.

The council decided to revisit the topic after reviewing additional information, emphasizing a need for transparency, inclusivity, and public input before making any changes.

Also read:

WATCH – Detransitioner to providers: ‘Please just stop’ gender surgeries on minors
Detransitioner Soren Aldaco shared her experience and urged providers to stop encouraging gender surgeries on minors as HHS moves to restrict federal funding for such procedures.
Without pennies, should retailers round up or down?
As the penny disappears from circulation, states and retailers are grappling with how cash purchases should be rounded and who should benefit from those decisions.
Opinion: IBR promotes ‘giving away’ historic interstate bridges while withholding cost estimate for replacement
Neighbors for a Better Crossing argues the IBR program is promoting demolition of the historic Interstate Bridges without releasing updated cost estimates or current seismic data to justify replacement.
Opinion: Solving Washington’s deficit without tax increases
Ryan Frost argues Washington’s budget shortfall is driven by rapid spending growth rather than insufficient tax revenue, calling for slower spending and program reductions instead of new taxes.
Washington State Patrol loses 34th trooper in the line of duty
Washington State Patrol Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting was killed while investigating a crash on State Route 509 in Tacoma, marking the 34th line-of-duty death in the agency’s history.
Opinion: Bikes in crosswalks
Doug Dahl explains how Washington law treats bicycles as both vehicles and pedestrians, depending on where and how they are being ridden.
County seeks volunteers to serve on Railroad Advisory Board
Clark County is accepting applications to fill up to two positions on a citizen advisory board focused on oversight and guidance for the county-owned Chelatchie Prairie Railroad.