By China Cassidy On Wednesday, July 1, the Holbrook City Council held a special meeting to discuss and vote on whether to mandate masks in public places with the increase in COVID-19 cases in the city and throughout Arizona. Several citizens spoke at the podium, both in favor and against mandating face coverings in public. Some believed that mandating face coverings would infringe on their liberties. In response, Vice Mayor Francie Payne offered, “I don’t personally believe that. I really think that this is just not asking much of the citizens and I don’t think it’s asking much of the council to take their job seriously enough to protect the health and welfare of our community.” Councilmen Mike Nilsson and Mark Jackson both explained that while they understand and respect everyone’s points of view and feelings, the city would have to exhaust a lot of resources to enforce the face coverings. “Mask wearing in my opinion, ultimately falls on the individual citizens of Holbrook. I talked to several towns that have enacted this already and I’ve asked them about reactions. They have had an increase of people calling the police on each other, back logging their departments because they are required to respond to calls,” offered Jackson. Nilsson reiterated Jackson’s point saying, “This is unenforceable, and it comes down to a personal choice.” Councilman Adam Marsh also spoke in favor of mandating a face covering. Marsh explained that the purpose of a face covering is not to protect the wearer but the people around them. Marsh presented data from various health agencies that provide information on the rise of cases and how to prevent the spread. He expressed that he believes it would be beneficial for many in the long run saying, “I see a face covering mandate as an easy compromise between keeping our government and economy open, and protecting the citizens’ livelihood. We are called to be compassionate and to be kind to one another,” he said. Councilman Tim Dixon responded to Marsh’s comments about caring for one another. Dixon claimed that requiring him to wear a mask would violate his Constitutional rights. “I don’t know anything in the Constitution of the United States, of Arizona, our charter, our policies or anything that says that we’re to care for each other, to love one another. A mask mandate is a violation of our Constitutional rights, whether we say it is or not. Mainly, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. It restrains me, to wear a mask, and it definitely doesn’t make me happy, so it’s not pursuing my happiness.” Dixon added that there is no proof that wearing masks saves lives and that he believes the number of COVID deaths are being falsely reported because his niece, who he says works in a COVID unit, said the hospitals get more money for COVID deaths. Councilmen Earl Kester encouraged those who need to go to places that require masks to follow the policies and, like the majority of the council, stated that it’s about personal accountability. Mayor Merrill Young said that over a period of three days, he received seven emails and 20 phone calls. According to Young, four of the seven emails urged him to vote yes. But, three of the seven and all 20 calls asked that he not support mandating face coverings. He closed by saying, “You have a right to feel the way you feel. Every one of us. Be it a council member, be it a city member, whatever. I feel as a council it’s our duty to meet the will of the people and the will of the people that have spoken to me and what I heard tonight, is a good majority of you are not in favor.” During the meeting, the council also heard from three citizens who wrote letters that were read by Deputy Clerk Lisa Hunt. Of the three letters, two were in favor and one was opposed. Both Debbie Kester and Louise Hancock urged the council to leave any personal beliefs out of the decision making and consider the facts provided by healthcare professionals. Hancock asked the council to remain diligent in not making their decision about politics. “While the council continues to make ‘I’ statements during the public meetings, I will share a simple statement with all of you. I believe that you are elected to represent all citizens of our town which should include the term ‘we,’ and not I. How can you ask us to rely on each other to clean the town but not during a public health crisis? This is a very emotional and personal time in all of our lives. By stating that it is the government trying to control us only shows that we need to educate ourselves more on the topic.” Pat Pogue, the owner of Pat’s House of Originals, also wrote a letter asking the council not to mandate masks as COVID-19 has already made it difficult to operate a business. “It is very hard to even stay in business here without limiting who is coming to your business. It’s also very hard to identify a person who has their entire face covered with a mask.” Other speakers present who were in favor of the mandate were Cindy Percy, Gwen Kelley and Beth Baloo. There to ask council not to mandate masks in public were Stacy McKenzie, Cherise Meyers, Trinity Autree, Elizabeth Portue, Kirby Meyers, Marsha Stoddard, Dr. Dorothy Karch Korcheski and Connie McPherson. Following the discussion, both Vice Mayor Payne and Councilman Marsh voted in favor of the mandate. Mayor Young, and councilmen Jackson, Dixon, Nilsson and Kester all voted no. Councilman Marsh then moved to adopt a resolution recommending that all citizen’s wear masks after the original resolution asking that masks be required failed by a vote of five to two. Councilmen Jackson stated that while he does believe that wearing a mask should be a personal choice and voted not to mandate them, he did agree that a recommendation was a good compromise and voted in favor. Payne and March also voted in favor, but the four other members of the council voted against, closing the matter for the City of Holbrook.
