CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Every city vehicle in Chesapeake will soon feature the phrase “In God We Trust.”

The proposal went before City Council on Tuesday and was approved unanimously, despite opposition from several speakers at the meeting.

It’s expected to cost an estimated $87,000 — about $81,000 of which is labor costs that are already included in the annual budget. Only $6,000 “new” money would be expended.

The phrase has been the official motto of the United States since 1956. It could take more than a year to complete.

The phrase became the national motto after an alliance formed between the Rev. Billy Graham and former President Dwight Eisenhower, who thought combining patriotism and Christianity could be used as a weapon against “godless Communism” during the Cold War, per PBS.

Councilman Don Carey proposed adding the decals to cars. He said while some who identify as atheists spoke out against it, the move wasn’t about pushing one religion.

“‘In God We Trust’ is embedded all over our country. It’s in our courthouses, our codes. It’s nothing that isn’t already there,” Carey said.

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