The Town of Huntsville council has unanimously voted against accepting the donation of the six-foot bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
It comes after the Town held a special council meeting on Dec. 3 due to concerns and comments from residents throughout the community.
“It’s clear to me, based on the variety of feedback I have received, and all of council has received on both the statue and more importantly, the process, that Huntsville is not currently in a position to accept this donation,” said Mayor Nancy Alcock.
Alcock said the donation, championed by community members, was subject to the Town’s public art policy, meaning it was reviewed against the policy’s criteria and judged by a panel of community members.
“What we intended to be a celebration of diversity and peace has highlighted a need for further discussion and progress in celebrating the depth of identities and diversity in Huntsville,” she said.
Councillor Bob Stone explained that while his original vote to accept the statue was made with the best intentions, community feedback received over the past week showed they had made a mistake and should have gone through public consultation.
“I would like to personally, humbly apologize to the people of Huntsville for the consternation this has caused. I will not be voting to accept the statue today,” said Stone.
Councillor Cory Clarke followed the discussion by saying residents have let them know “clearly that a bad decision was made.”
“Our residents are asking us to make better decisions. As a council, we need to show better leadership. We need to make better choices,” said Clarke.
As a result, Alcock said staff have already initiated a review of the public art donation policy and will ensure that this policy is reflective of the variety of circumstances, types of donations, and methods of public consultation.
