Boy, does Macon-Bibb County need a new seal and motto.
The consolidated government will need both, with the motto on the seal, and the task force working on the merger is holding a public contest for the seal design. At the meeting where that competition was announced this week, state Rep. Nikki Randall, D-Macon, looked at side-by-side pictures of the current city and county seals and wondered what Macon’s motto means. Bibb County’s seal bears the words “constitution,” “wisdom,” “justice” and “moderation.” Macon’s, however, says “aedes mores legesque custodiat” across the top, with “corpus politicum” in larger type at the bottom.
Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, an attorney and thus accustomed to Latin legal terms, spoke up.
“The Latin translates roughly to ‘let the legal body protect the customs and the property,’” he said.
Not exactly a ringing declaration to inspire civic progress and public enthusiasm, is it?
Task force members apparently didn’t think so either. Reichert’s translation drew uncertain laughter from around the table. Still, it’s better than what Google Translate comes up with: “houses customs and laws keep the body politic.”
via Political Notebook: In search of the perfect seal, motto | Politics | Macon.com.
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