Public pressure works. Thanks to all those citizens who showed up. It mattered.

May 3, 2021 – West Bend, WI – Taxpayers in the City of West Bend turned out in sizable numbers Monday night, May 3 to encourage the common council to vote ‘No’ on a policy recommending visitors to City buildings wear masks through August 31, 2021.

 

Although it was not a public hearing, members of the community were allowed to speak and a majority echoed the same thoughts including, “masks don’t work, masks offer little protection, catching COVID from passing in a hallway is negligible, Dr. Fauci has flip flopped on the issue, it is day 422 of ’15 days to slow the spread’ half the country is vaccinated and deaths are low, the government can stop dictating my choices.”

 

One person spoke in favor of a mask mandate for visitors citing his medical background and training as how he came to his conclusion that masks were beneficial. Alderman Jed Dolnick and alderman Mark Allen also spoke in favor of the mask policy saying they listened to their doctors.

 

A motion was made by Dolnick and seconded by Allen to pass the mask policy however it failed 6 – 2. Those voting against the policy included alderman John Butschlick, Brett Berquist, Randy Koehler, Tracy Aherns, Justice Madl and Meghann Kennedy.