The Camping World CEO has refused demands from the city to take down a giant American flag waving in front of the company’s Greenville, North Carolina facility.
The country’s largest RV parts supplier and dealer has been hit with costly fines because of the 3,200-square-foot flag posted on a 120-foot pole that was placed on the company’s property.
The flag is 15 times the allowed size on non-residential property and the pole is only supposed to be 70-feet tall.
‘The flag is not coming down,’ Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis wrote on X.
‘You can fine me all you want City of Greenville North Carolina.’
After weeks of resisting against the city, Lemonis’ efforts have proven successful, with officials set to draft a new ordinance to allow the flag to remain.
Greenville city officials first told Camping World that the flag violated a city regulation October, 2024.
To oppose the city’s wishes to tear down the patriotic symbol, Camping World filed an application to amend the rule earlier this month, WITN reported.
Camping World has been hit with costly fines because of the 3,200-square-foot flag posted on a 120-foot pole that was placed on the company’s property
Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis has refused demands from the city to take down a giant American flag waving in front of the company’s Greenville, North Carolina facility
But the Greenville City Council unanimously voted down the request that would make the flag’s size legal on January 9.
On January 15, the city started ramping up its efforts against the company by issues multiple citations and fines.
There have been at least six citations issued, totaling to $1,150 in fines, according to WLBT.
According to a petition created by Camping World called ‘Let Camping World Fly The American Flag!’, the city has been imposing a $500 per day fine.
The document reads: ‘Many cities like Greenville have requested that Camping World take down their American Flags. WE WON’T DO IT! Stand with us.
‘This is about more than just the flag. This is about our Veterans, Military, and the men and women that have sacrificed for this great country. They are the reason we fly the flag and they are the reason we will NOT take it down!’
On Saturday, Councilman Les Robinson issued a motion to ‘initiate a text amendment to allow a 3,200-square-foot flag to be flown with one flag and a maximum flag pole height of 130 feet with other various restrictions,’ according to The Daily Reflector.
The amendment is set to be reviewed by the Greenville Planning and Zoning Commision in February. In March, the document will be sent to city council for its final approval.
Lemonis posted citations on X, writing that the ‘flag is not coming down’
Greenville Mayor Mayor P.J. Connelly released a statement, supporting the flag and efforts to allow it to stay
In a Saturday Facebook statement, Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly wrote: ‘Today at our planning session the city council voted unanimously to direct staff to develop an ordinance to allow the flag at Camping World to fly.
‘It should never have come to this but thankfully our beautiful American flag will continue to fly.’
Local officials have accused Camping World of fibbing on their original application to place the flag on their property in August, 2024.
A contractor for the RV retailer submitted a permit request for a 70-foot flagpole and a 216-square-foot flag, but instead used a much larger one without telling the city, The Daily Reflector reported.
‘They essentially lied on their application because they knew full and well what the ordinance stated and what they were allowed to build but they built it anyway and then sent us a text amendment that was essentially impossible to pass,’ Councilman Matt Scully told the outlet.
‘The whole thing in my opinion was a sham and publicity stunt and it’s unfortunate that it has divided our community in some ways and had made the city look unpatriotic in the eyes of some of the public and it’s been a huge waste of time of our staff in my opinion.
‘I think our hope is to get it resolved as soon as possible and continue on with the people’s work of making our community better.’
Scully, who seconded the motion, said he is worried that agreeing to comply with Camping World’s flag requests has set a problematic precedent.
Connelly announced the decision to develop a new flag ordinance, but other officials expressed concern about the precedent this may set
He told The Daily Reflector: ‘We’ve allowed a very wealthy person and company to come in and essentially do what they want and are essentially getting away with it. At the end of the day, we just want to get this resolved quickly.
‘It is a beautiful flag, I’m a patriotic person. We really just want to get back to making our community better and do the people’s business and doing the real business of safety and homelessness and affordable housing. The list goes on and on.’
On Sunday, Lemonis took to X to thank the city of Greenville for their decision to modify the ordinance.
‘Thank you @GreenvilleNC for your reconsideration. We are all grateful #BestFlagEver,’ he wrote.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Lemonis and the city of Greenville for comment.
