Collier Commission to Consider Displaying the Ten Commandments on County Property

Commissioner Chris Hall’s proposal goes before the Board Tuesday.

Collier County Commissioner Chris Hall wants the Ten Commandments to be publicly displayed on County property. Such proposals have historically prompted debate over the role of religion in government spaces.

His proposal appears on the agenda for Tuesday's Board of County Commissioners meeting as Item 10.B titled Recommendation to display the Ten Commandments as part of a larger exhibit depicting the foundations of American law and government in appropriate publicly accessible locations on County property to be selected by the County Manager. As he wrote in the item’s Executive Summary:

"I propose to publicly display the Ten Commandments alongside other significant foundational historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Preamble to the Florida Constitution, the lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner, and similar texts...."

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Private Citizen to Donate Documents

"A private citizen has offered to donate framed documents to the County in support of this display," he said in the Summary.

However, the county may face installation and procurement costs if the donations are insufficient.

"Provided that the donations support a consistent appearance of all documents and are suitable for display in public facilities, the County should accept this individual's offer,” he said.

Legal Review

The proposal was reviewed by County Attorney Jeffrey A. Klatzkow and approved as to form and legality.

According to Klatzkow, “Displaying the 10 Commandments by itself has been struck down by the Courts. But “[displaying it] as part of a larger display depicting the foundations of America (such as the Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, Gettysburg Address) has been upheld by the Courts."

In short, a Ten Commandments display alone would likely be struck down, but the courts have upheld inclusion in a broader set of historical documents.

Contact Information for County Commissioners

Should you wish to express your opinion on this proposal, here are the commissioners' email addresses:

• Rick.LoCastro@colliercountyfl.gov

• Chris.Hall@colliercountyfl.gov

• Burt.Saunders@colliercountyfl.gov

• Dan.Kowal@colliercountyfl.gov

• Bill.McDaniel@colliercountyfl.gov

Should you wish to attend the County Commission meeting and make your comments in person or virtually, you can find details about how to do so on the County Commissioners' web page.

Next Steps

The Board’s discussion and possible vote are scheduled for Tuesday’s meeting.