Controversial mask ordinance set for another public reading

ALBANY, Ga. – Commissioners gathered Tuesday and voted on a mask mandate that would require face masks be worn in public.

The mandate passed 4-3, however, the board of commissioners must hold another public reading and perhaps even vote again before it goes into effect.

The controversial ordinance has split commissioners right down the middle with three voting yes and three voting it down. Mayor Bo Dorough’s vote in favor of the mandate broke the tie. 

Commissioners in favor of the ordinance say requiring masks would help keep transmission of the virus low and people safe.

“We need a law that says people need to wear a mask, and if you don’t wear a mask there’s going to be penalty to pay and we are doing this because we want to keep our community safe, it gets no easier than that,” says Ward VI Commissioner Demetrius Young.

And those against it say encouraging and education people, not requiring them to wear coverings is less divisive. And that the city is handling the pandemic better now than when it first hit.

“There’s always room for improvement but what we have been doing is working. It’s one thing to confront somebody negatively and that’s what this ordinance would do is it would be a negative confrontation, we out to be more positive,” says Ward IV Commissioner Chad Warbington.

There must be 100 cases per every 100,000 people in the county for the mask ordinance to apply, currently Albany has 192 cases per 100,000. The community is trending down in cases and commissioners against the ordinance say enforcing a mandate now isn’t necessary.

The board is meeting again Thursday at 2 p.m. to discuss the ordinance and Warbington says he hopes people will join them in the discussion to ask questions, voice their opinions and offer suggestions before voting again.

“The amount of citizens input has exponentially grown, in my opinion that’s all the more reason to slow down the vote. People are just now learning about this.” 

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