KINGMAN – Kingman Mayor Jen Miles has partially relented to public pressure after extending the city’s coronavirus mask mandate all the way through the end of the year. Miles and city attorney Carl Cooper endured stinging criticism during the Call to the Public portion of Tuesday’s council meeting.
The charge was initially led by local lawmaker Regina Cobb. The Dist. 5 state rep. from Kingman said she secured an “unofficial opinion” from the Arizona Attorney General’s office that Cooper is in error with his legal interpretation that city ordinance does not require council ratification of the Mayor’s emergency mask proclamation within 72 hours.
“I have heard from many local citizens of how divisive this proclamation has been to our community,” Cobb said. “This is a blanket violation of our Constitutional rights and civil liberties.”
Miles did not respond during the meeting but she did so with a Tuesday night Facebook post.
“By coming to the Council to oppose the Proclamation and her willingness to take this on as a political battle, Representative Cobb puts great pressure on our city,” the post said. “After discussing this with City attorney Cooper and Manager (Ron) Foggin, we have decided to take the Proclamation to City Council for ratification.”
The full council will consider keeping, amending or ending the mask mandate during its September 15 meeting. The Bullhead City Council will take up the same question at its meeting the same evening.
Sharp criticism from Jennifer Esposito saw Miles cut her off after she called Cooper incompetent and the Mayor a bully and an “unhinged megalomaniac”.
The Kingman policy question has drawn interest from outside the city limits. A White Hills resident called in to challenge the mask mandate as did Janet Grippi from Lake Havasu City.
“How do you feel about being complicit in the greatest hoax ever perpetuated on the American people? Any you are all a part of it,” Grippi told council members. “Take the masks off. Open the city. Let owners of businesses do what they need to feed their families. Take the masks off. Quit muzzling and masking the children. The psychological damage you’re doing to them is horrible.”
Davina Forrester agreed, saying she won’t send her son to school because she believes masks are unhealthy and harmful.
“We are patriots. And we’re standing up for human rights,” Forrester said. “We’re standing up for God-given oxygen that you do not have the right to take away from us.”
The Mayor and council members say many citizens have provided input in favor of the mask mandate. None, of them, however, spoke during the Call to the Public telephone portion of Tuesday’s meeting.
- Dave Hawkins
5 Comments
End the mask crap. If not ill wear it on my chin. Its a mask and I am wearing it….. same for my kids they can decide.
Its time for citizens to join together and stand up to the anti maskers! Jennifer Esposito is everything she accuses Mayor Jen Miles of being and is seeking to replace her!
These antii-maskers are why Mohave County has twice the state average in deaths and Kingman has four times it!
No one is calling them out and saying hey not only are you making us look bad with the virus numbers but you are aiding in killing your fellow citizens!
Let me add 15 mph in a school zone is against my Constitutional rights. Let the individual drivers decide.. IDIOTS>>>>>>>>>>>>
If you want to wear a mask, then go right ahead, It your right to do so.. JUST as it is my right not to! If you don’t like it, stay home! If you fools insist on letting this power drunk so called ‘Mayor’ trample you’re rights, that’s fine by me. Idiot sheep!
Why do we have to do something against our Constitutional rights. We the people have the right to choose whether or not we want to wear a mask or not ! I can understand the elderly and people with underline medical isssues wearing one , but they have a choice to wear one or not ! The number of deaths of the corona virus are fudged. we are just letting social media and the press scare us ! We the people live in a land CALLED (THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE ) ! Personal hygiene is the most important roll in not getting sick ! People choose to do what they want and they have that right ! We the people have the Roll in protecting our own well being and wearing mask isn’t going to help us when we are breathing in our own carbon dioxide from are lungs ! Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas , it is a waste product made by the body. Carbon dioxide travels in the blood from the body’s tissues to the lungs . Breathing out clears carbon dioxide from the lung ! So why would we want to breathe that back in ! Your answer is well We wouldn’t it’s not heathy !