City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND
APPROVING THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON
HONORARY STREET CO-NAMING POLICY
Whereas, in correspondence dated September 22, 2025, the City Council President formally requested authorization for the City Council to establish guidelines and procedures for the honorary co-naming of City streets in recognition of individuals, organizations, or events that have demonstrated exceptional and enduring contributions to the City of Mount Vernon; and
Whereas, the City of Mount Vernon recognizes that certain individuals, organizations, and historic events have made meaningful and lasting contributions to the civic, cultural, and social life of the community; and
Whereas, honorary street co-naming provides a meaningful way to publicly recognize such contributions while preserving the integrity and navigational clarity of the City’s official street naming system; and
Whereas, the City Council seeks to establish a clear, fair, and transparent process for considering requests for honorary street co-naming, preventing an overwhelming volume of requests, and maintaining consistent standards for approval; and
Whereas, this policy will ensure that such honors are intentional, respectful, and reflective of Mount Vernon’s diverse history and values; Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved That
The City of Mount Vernon, in City Council convened, does hereby ordain and enact:
Section 1. Purpose. To establish a clear, fair, and efficient process for the honorary co-naming of streets in the City of Mount Vernon that recognizes individuals and organizations with meaningful connections to the city, while maintaining the integrity and distinction of the honor.
Section 2. Definitions:
Honorary Street Co-Naming: The ceremonial naming of a street or portion of a street in honor of a person or organization. The honorary name is added to existing signage and does not alter official addresses or emergency service designations.
Section 3. Eligibility Criteria
A. Individuals must meet the following criteria:
1. Demonstrated significant and positive contributions to the City of Mount Vernon through civic, community, educational, political, cultural, military, or humanitarian achievements.
2. Must have either:
a. Resided in Mount Vernon for at least ten (10) years, preferably with a connection to the street proposed for co-naming;
b. Maintained a documented, substantial connection to the City of Mount Vernon (e.g., through employment, service, leadership or consistent engagement) for at least ten (10) years.
3. Must be deceased for at least two (2) years, unless the Council grants an exception due to:
a. Death resulting from tragedy or public service; or
b. Extraordinary local or national contributions recognized by the community.
B. Organizations must:
1. Have been established and operating in Mount Vernon for at least 25 years;
2. Have made enduring contributions to the civic, cultural, or economic life of the city.
Section 4. Initiating a Co-Naming Request.
A. For Community-Initiated Requests, applicants must:
1. Submit a completed application and $50 processing fee to the City Clerk no later than four (4) weeks prior to a scheduled City Council meeting. If there is an expedited request the processing fee increases to $100. All application fees are non-refundable, regardless of the outcome.
2. Include a detailed biography and justification for the honoree.
3. Provide a map identifying the exact location of the requested co-naming.
4. Submit a petition meeting one of the following thresholds:
a. 60% of adjacent property owners along the proposed street segment; or
b. 50 signatures from Mount Vernon residents, with at least 25 residing or operating businesses within a 3-block radius of the proposed location.
B. Council-Initiated Requests:
1. May be made by any Council Member via written resolution/referral letter that includes a statement of justification outlining the honoree’s contributions and relevance to the community and the location.
Section 5. Review and Approval Process.
1. The City Clerk shall review applications for completeness and place them on the legislative agenda.
2. The City Council will vote on each proposed co-naming at a Regular Meeting.
3. A majority vote of the full City Council is required for approval.
4. If an application is denied, the prospective honoree will not be considered for two (2) years from the date of the denial.
5. Each application will be considered on its own merit, without regard to precedence.
Section 6. Signage and Implementation.
1. Honorary signage will be installed beneath the existing street sign.
2. The Department of Public Works will coordinate fabrication and installation.
3. The cost of signage and installation shall be paid by the applicant for a community-initiated request
Section 7. General Guidelines, Limits, and Duration.
1. The City will approve no more than five (5) honorary co-namings per calendar year unless waived by a two-thirds vote of the Council.
2. Honorary co-namings shall remain in effect for 25 years, after which they may be renewed by Council resolution.
3. An application to co-name a street for an individual already honored in a similar fashion will be discouraged by the City Council.
4. In general, the street to be co-named will be the street closest to the residence of the prospective honoree, or the place with which they are most closely associated. Multiple naming of the same street is discouraged.
5. The City Council may rescind a co-naming, by majority vote, if the honoree is later found to have engaged in conduct contrary to the values of the city or if warranted by public interest.
Section 8. Effective Date. This policy shall take effect immediately upon adoption by the Mount Vernon City Council.