San Bernardino County officials adopt new flag for first time in four decades

For the first time in four decades San Bernardino County officials have approved a new flag that will fly over government buildings. 

The change was made on Dec. 3, when the Board of Supervisors approved the new county flag. It is the third flag in the county's history, which was officially established in 1853, and the first since the current flag was adopted in 1984.

The flag features a silhouette of mountains representing the county's many mountain communities. It features blue and gold stripes which are meant to represent the valley and desert communities as well. Five gold stars represent the five supervisorial districts.

The flag was designed by the County Administrative Office Design Team with input from county leadership, according to a statement from San Bernardino County. 

"I'm proud of our new county flag and I look forward to seeing it fly at county offices and proudly displayed in our meeting rooms," said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. "The stars and stripes celebrate the unique diversity of our geography and communities and the colors are bold and distinct in a way befitting the nation's largest county."

The last time the county adopted a flag was Aug. 27, 1984, which was in celebration of the grand opening of the County Government Center. 

In order to protect against the creation of alternative flags, the board of supervisors also adopted a policy that defines the flag in precise detail and governs its use along with the California and United States flags. 

The county's first flag, which was approved in 1973, similarly bore a mountain silhouette, the 1853 date and a "scalloped arrowhead logo," the statement said.