Republicans on the Seneca County Board of Supervisors turned back a measure Tuesday that would have forced a vote on Governor Kathy Hochul’s mask mandate.
The Finger Lakes reports Lodi Supervisor Kyle Barnhart made a motion directing the county health department to enforce the mandate. However, since the measure did not go through a committee, full board approval would be needed. There are only three Democrats on the board. Cindy Lorenzetti seconded the motion. Waterloo Supervisor-at-Large James Cleere was not in attendance and the measure was defeated, with all ten Republicans voting “no.”
At its December 14th meeting, the board issued a position statement saying it backed the mandate, but said the county lacked the resources to enforce it. The state offered counties and municipalities $65 million for enforcement, but Legislator Peter Arena of Romulus called the payments “a bribe.”
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