Brandon city leaders are considering relocating one of its downtown centerpieces – a longstanding Confederate monument.
At the end of a June 16 Board of Aldermen meeting, a measure was passed that approved “phase one” of a proposal to assess the logistics, costs, and other details of moving 37-foot monument.
The vote was split three to three between the board as one alderman was not present. Mayor Butch Lee initially expressed a desire to forego breaking the tie with his own vote to ensure full representation. But after city attorney Mark Baker informed Lee that he was required to cast a vote, the mayor consented.
“Well, board, I feel pretty strongly about this,” Lee said at the meeting. “Feel like we’re coming up on our 200-year anniversary and we’d like to chart the next 100 years. I’m going to cast a vote to say aye so we can explore this and see where it leads us.”
Lee emphasized that the approval to bring in engineering professionals for analysis of the site is only step one in a potentially long process.
The war memorial statue was erected back in 1907 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Lee and other Brandon leaders say if it is relocated, it will stay in Brandon because of its historical significance. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the monument marks the spot where General William Sherman ordered his troops to stack arms during the Union siege of Brandon.
The mayor also says there is a safety element to consider.
“It’s not a simple discussion. It’s not an easy one,” Lee told WAPT-TV. “If it is moved, how do you move it? Where do you move it? How much does it cost? I had someone tell me that it’s been hit three times by an automobile, so it’s in kind of harm’s way.”
A timeline has not yet been established for the site assessment or further phases of the potential relocation project.
