Mayor Burnette Proposed Adding Mask Mandate to Council Agenda; Motion Denied at Council Workshop Meeting.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

At a city council budget workshop meeting Tuesday, Mayor Burnette addressed the council to add a Mask Mandate for the city onto the city council’s next agenda. This workshop was the first workshop for July.

The request for the Mask Mandate to be added as an agenda item comes during the Mayor’s Proclamation for July. According to Mayor Burnette during a phone interview, a proclamation is the one step the Mayor can do unilaterally. “All mandates need to be made by the council,” Mayor Burnette said.

“I don’t want to force those with medical problems to wear a mask, but this is an emotional topic for me, as a Husband and Father. I just want to protect people the best I can,” Mayor Burnette said during the interview.

With a fair, spirited, and honest discussion at the workshop, the motion ended up being denied.

Mayor Burnette expressed that with major corporations now like Walmart, Publix, and Target adopting facial covering requirements, re-discussing the matter could happen if the topic is brought back up by other members of the council.

“Honestly, reconsideration of it could come back up at any time, and then we can just add it to the agenda,” the Mayor said.