New Britain’s controversial Christopher Columbus statue won’t be heading to storage — at least not yet.
Mayor Erin Stewart on Thursday vetoed the common council’s decision to take down the statue, meaning the issue will drag into January or possibly beyond.
After learning of her decision Thursday afternoon, a top council Democrat said he’ll try to get his colleagues to override it next month.
“Where does it end?” she wrote. “Are we going to examine the battlefield tactics of generals Kosciuszko or Pulaski to ensure they adhered to the social mores of today?”
The veto was the latest twist in a local culture battle that began with the nationwide campaign to pull down Columbus statues after the George Floyd protests in June.