Kansas

Kansas Mayor Resigns After Threats Over Backing Mask Mandate

The city commission voted 4-1 on Nov. 16 to impose a mask mandate, with several exceptions

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A western Kansas mayor announced her immediate resignation Tuesday because of threats she has received after publicly supporting a mask mandate.

Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw said she was concerned about her safety after encountering aggression, including threats via phone and email, after she was quoted in a USA Today article Friday supporting a mask mandate, The Dodge City Globe reported.

โ€œI understand people are under a lot of pressure from various things that are happening around society like the pandemic, the politics, the economy, so on and so forth, but I also believe that during these times people are acting not as they normally would,โ€ Warshaw said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said Thursday that even though a vaccine was imminent, Americans needed to double down on public health measures. โ€œWeโ€™re not talking about shutting down the country,โ€ he said. โ€œWeโ€™re not talking about shutting down. Weโ€™re talking about intensifying the simple public health measures that we all talk about, mask wearing, distance, avoiding congregate settings.โ€

The commission voted 4-1 on Nov. 16 to impose a mask mandate, with several exceptions.

Ford County, where Dodge City is located, has recorded 4,914 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the state health department. The county has about 33,600 residents.

Warshaw said despite the threats, she doesn't regret voting in favor of the mask mandate.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that wearing a face mask can protect the wearer as well as others from the spread of COVID-19. The agency has previously stated that wearing masks may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others who may be nearby.

โ€œThis is harder for me than people realize,โ€ Warshaw said as she began to cry. โ€œI really love this city with all my heart. I still believe in this city, and I believe in their ability to not harm one another.โ€

Some of the threatening emails have been turned over to police. Specific details of the threats were not provided.

Dodge City Police Chief Drew Francis said the department is looking into the communications to determine its response.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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