Columbus Mask Mandate Passes, Mayor Casts Deciding Vote
COLUMBUS - After nearly three hours of discussion on Tuesday, the City of Columbus has approved a mask mandate, with the mayor himself casting the deciding vote.
The City Council voted the ordinance a 4-4 tie, but Mayor Jim Bulkley exorcised his right to vote in the event of a tie to pass the mandate through. Council members Beth Augustine-Schulte, Troy Hiemer, Rich Jablonski, and Ron Schilling voted against the mandate while Charlie Bahr, Dennis Kresha, John Lohr, and Prent Roth voted for it.
For over an hour and a half, numerous Columbus residents made their voices heard about why there shouldn't be a mandate in the City, citing a variety of reasons for their opposition.
"People in this community don't want it, let people make their own decisions," said Lois Arlt of Columbus. "If you're afraid or you're immunocompromised then wear one, but to mandate this and then to have people report on each other is an alarming state for this community."
"If we go down this route, where is this going to end up?" said Taylor Anderson of Columbus. "When are we going to be back here to debate a bill saying we can't go to church or go to school anymore?"
"There's a reason people live here instead of New York, California, or even Lincoln or Omaha, we like to be left alone and we don't want or need the government tinkering with our day to day lives," said Jack Hoppe of Columbus.
Those in favor of the mandate included large community employers such as BD and Behlen, as well as the superintendents of all three schools in the Columbus area. Health officials were also on-hand at the meeting, detailing how the recent surge in cases has impacted health care.
"Over the last five to six weeks we've been running 25 patients roughly, and we're no longer able to transfer patients who are becoming critically ill," said Dr. Kip Anderson with Columbus Family Practice.
"Because masks work they have kept our clinics and hospital open and staffed, they have allowed our students to return to school for in-person learning, and they are an essential intervention for keeping businesses open and staffed," said Dr. Michelle Sell, a Primary Care Physician in Columbus.
The ordinance will go into effect this Friday, with violators having to pay a fine of $25. The mandate is set to expire on Feb. 23, 2021, unless it's otherwise extended by the Columbus City Council.
Click the link below for a full breakdown of the ordinance: