Rexburg City Council votes against mandatory masks, passes resolution encouraging them

REXBURG — The Rexburg City Council voted against a mask mandate Thursday night. Council members Chris Mann and Bryanna Johnson were in favor of an ordinance that would require residents to wear masks, but council members Jordan Busby, Brad Wolfe, Mikel Walker and Tisha Flora voted against the measure.

Instead, the council passed a resolution called ‘United We Stand Against COVID-19’ that encourages members of the public to wear face coverings but does not make them mandatory.

The decisions came as dozens of people packed City Hall and expressed their opinions about a possible mask mandate. A spokesman representing those against the ordinance was given five minutes to speak followed by a spokeswoman who represented those in favor of mandatory masks.

Council members said they received hundreds of emails over the past 24 hours since they discussed a possible mandate during a meeting Wednesday night. Madison County has seen 87 cases of coronavirus since March, according to Eastern Idaho Public Health. As of Wednesday night, 54 of those are considered to have recovered.

So far, Driggs and Victor are the only two cities in eastern Idaho to institute mask policies. Rexburg city leaders noted that if there is a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases, they may revisit the possibility of mandating masks down the road.

You can watch video of the meeting here.