Proclamation Requests

Proclamations are a specific type of document requested by organizations to commemorate a particular holiday or date or group. Proclamations have their own set of guidelines and procedures. Please review the guidelines below before submitting a request.

Proclamation Guidelines

At their discretion, the City Council will issue proclamations and certificates for noteworthy state or local events that deserve special recognition. The City Clerk’s Office handles requests for proclamations. These guidelines describe how to request a proclamation and how it can be issued.

REQUIREMENTS

  • A City of Morgantown resident must make the request. 
  • Requests should be made no fewer than 45 days in advance and no more than 120 days in advance of the date you need the proclamation. Late requests may not be reviewed by the City Clerk or Council due to other work demands. Requests that have been granted in past years and cannot be made 45 days in advance due to issues outside the control of the person making the request will more often be reviewed by the City Clerk and Council.
  • Requests must be completed via this form: Proclamation Request form.
  • Neither mailed, faxed, hand-delivered, e-mailed nor phone requests will be honored.
  • Proclamations should not take sides in matters of political controversy; nor should they address personal or individual convictions.
  • Organizations are asked to limit proclamation requests to one per year. Multiple requests may be delayed, modified, or consolidated to promote efficient operations. City Council recognizes that City boards and commissions often provide representation for multiple groups and may request more than one proclamation per year.
  • Proclamations will only be adopted as a Council action as determined by City Council. Making a request is not a guarantee that a proclamation will be issued by City Council. City Council reserves the right to modify or deny any proclamation request.

WHAT TO INCLUDE

  • Contact person's first and last name, address and telephone number.
  • A brief summary and/or background of the event or organization.
  • The name and date(s) of the day, week, month, or event to be proclaimed.
  • Proposed text for the proclamation, including “Whereas” clauses describing the background and purpose (usually 4-6 “Whereas” clauses).
  • An indication of whether the completed proclamation should be mailed (standard U.S. mail) or if you will pick it up. Please note any events your organization may be holding where the proclamation could be delivered.
  • A date when the proclamation is needed.

Proclamations are not automatically renewed from year to year. You must submit a new proclamation request for each year. If you would like to request a proclamation, please complete and submit the Proclamation Request form.

PROCESSING REQUESTS

  • When a request is submitted, the City Clerk will review it to determine whether it is complete and meets these guidelines.
  • If so, the City Clerk will deliver the request to City Council and indicate the upcoming City Council meeting or event when the proclamation is scheduled for delivery.
  • If any Council member notifies the City Clerk that they object to issuing the proclamation at least 4 business days before the scheduled delivery date, the City Clerk will notify all Council members, and the proclamation will not be issued unless it is taken up and approved by City Council under its regular meeting procedures.
  • If no objection is received, the proclamation will be delivered as scheduled. A copy of the proclamation will be included in the minutes of the meeting at which it is delivered, or the minutes of the next meeting of City Council after delivery outside of a meeting, subject to approval of such minutes by Council according to its regular procedures.
  • The City Clerk may perform any of these functions through a designee or by automated delivery systems.

RECEIVING THE PROCLAMATION

If a proclamation request is granted, the proclamation will usually be sent to the address provided or be made available for pick up as notated on the form. Multiple copies of proclamations may be issued to individuals or groups who request them on the form. A request can be made for the proclamation to be read at a City Council meeting. If scheduled, the requesting agency will be expected to have a representative available to receive the proclamation. If the requesting agency would like to make any additional comments on the proclamation, they will have the option to do so during the public portion of the meeting. Alternately, Council may offer to send a member to the requesting agency’s event to present the proclamation to the requesting agency. The City Clerk will coordinate scheduling of the delivery of the proclamation.

For more information about Proclamations, please call the City Clerk’s office at 304-284-7434.