NRH Council Adds "In God We Trust" To New City Hall
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NORTH RICHLAND HILLS (CBS11) - North Richland Hills has a new motto it will be displaying at the nearly-finished city hall in town.
The mayor and city council voted 4-to-1 in support of adding "In God We Trust" somewhere inside the building for everyone to see when entering the 180,000 square foot building.
"We understand and respect that our residents come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs," said Mayor Oscar Trevino. "We're not seeking to advance any particular belief."
Local atheists disagreed and called the move,"Christian bullying."
"I immediately feel discriminated against, I don't feel comfortable and I feel excluded," said Randy Worth, a North Richland Hills resident.
The lone "nay" vote was filed by council member Scott Turnage.
"Doing this reflects a faith statement that is about as thin as the veneer on a cheap table," said Turnage.
Other council members argued it was more of a patriotic gesture and mentioned that previous lawsuits regarding the separation of church and state were denied.
Turnage was more concerned that the message could divide the community.
"Why do it at all? What exactly do we achieve or hope to achieve with this action?" questioned Turnage.
The mayor and city council have not decided where the "In God We Trust" motto will be displayed or how it will look.
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