Mayor Garrett on masks: ‘It’s about health’

Decatur, Dunwoody, Stone Mountain and others on Twitter: @dekalbnewsnow

While many Georgia mayors and city officials voiced indignation Thursday over Gov. Brian Kemp’s prohibiting cities and counties from enacting face mask-related rules, Decatur has thus far remained silent.

Mayor Patti Garrett told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday afternoon the city will issue a formal statement sometime in the coming days.

“I’m surprised [by the Governor’s prohibition],” Garrett said. “For us this isn’t about politics, it’s about health, but for now that’s all I’m going to say.”

On Wednesday, Kemp banned cities and counties from passing rules requiring face masks, and even went so far to say local governments couldn’t order masks on their property.

While Decatur remains silent for now, residents aren’t on social media. A resident named Kelsey Barry posted on a Nextdoor website she spoke with “someone [in the Governor’s office] who was so polite and agreed that perhaps with enough people calling, maybe the governor [will] resend his order.”

A small ampli g of local businesses Thursday indicate they’ll keep mask-wearing signage posted until hearing otherwise from the city.

Decatur passed its ordinance requiring the mandatory wearing of face masks, particularly within indoor spaces, last week, with it going into effect July 11.

The crux of Decatur’s law reads: “All persons entering an establishment in the City of Decatur shall wear a facial covering or mask while inside such establishment. This requirement to wear a facial covering does not apply to religious establishments; however, the use of facial coverings is highly recommended during religious activity.”

City Attorney Bryan Downs told the AJC last week he didn’t believe Decatur’s ordinance conflicted with Kemp’s original June 29 statewide executive order that “strongly encourages” but doesn’t mandate face coverings. Neither, he added, does it conflict with statewide intentions.

He cited Kemp’s “Wear a Mask Tour,” where he flew to seven Georgia cities to publicly emphasize facial coverings. Downs also pointed out the state’s Supreme Court required court employees and the public to wear masks, and the General Assembly required mask wearing along with the Georgia Board of Regents.

“We may not quite agree on the precise language,” Downs told the AJC, “but in the end we all want people wearing masks at appropriate times.”

Downs, who is likely crafting the city’s response to the Kemp ban, was unavailable for comment Thursday.

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