MOHAVE COUNTY – Supervisor Hildy Angius’ push to end Mohave County’s COVID-19 emergency declaration failed in a predictable 3-2 vote during Thursday’s special board meeting in Kingman. Supervisor Ron Gould sided with Angius, while the rest of the board voted to keep in place Chairman Jean Bishop’s March 18 proclamation.
Angius and Gould contend dwindling numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths have ended any local emergency that may have existed. And they want government to retreat from edicts and return liberty to the people to make their own health care determinations.
“People can make up their own minds themselves how they want to protect themselves,” Angius said. She also read into the record an opinion from state legislative legal counsel indicating that it is highly unlikely that the county would have to return any of the more than $9 million in grant monies doled out for COVID-19.
County Manager Sam Elters said he and other staff members obtained similar answers from other sources to the funding question. But he also said keeping the emergency in place isn’t only about retaining funding.
Elters said various coronavirus uncertainties also merit consideration. He, Supervisor Gary Watson and Deputy County Attorney Ryan Esplin said it will be difficult to justify the requirement that citizens and employees wear face cover when they can’t socially distance in county buildings if the emergency is rescinded.
“My concern is for the employees of Mohave County and also the general public,” Watson said. “I believe it’s incumbent upon us to make sure we have a healthy work force.”
Angius countered that the face cover policy for county buildings could remain in place under the umbrella of the state emergency declared by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. Esplin said that’s plausible but there’s still some risk of liability or litigation in that regard.
Supervisor Buster Johnson put the ultimate question to Department of Public Health Director Denise Burley.
“Do you, as director, feel that we should still consider COVID-19 a pandemic and an emergency in Mohave County,” Johnson queried.
“Yes, Supervisor Johnson. It is still a pandemic, not just in our county but in the state, in this county and throughout the world. It does fit that definition and we continue to operate in that mode,” Burley said.
The Board approved Johnson’s motion to review the 1999 ordinance setting forth how emergencies are declared in Mohave County. He said some spelling errors should be corrected and some revisions and general updating should be considered.
- Dave Hawkins
