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.

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.