Williamsville, NY (WBEN) The Village of Williamsville has become the first Erie County municipality to be hit with a citation from sanitarians for violating the county's mask executive order.
In response, village officials Tuesday circulated a public meeting notice for Thursday at which the board is expected to retain legal counsel to handle the matter.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz acknowledged the action during Tuesday's COVID briefing. "Not only the village mayor but others were not wearing masks. We had sanitarians at the last meeting, they took notes, and issued the citation," says Poloncarz. "They have violated repeatedly by having a public meeting and the village mayor is not wearing mask as are others."
[shortcode-inline-related expand="1" link="/wben/news/local/erie-county-covid-19-cases-declining-we-believe-we-have-peaked" headline="Erie County COVID-19 cases declining; "We believe we have peaked"" image="/media-library/image.jpg?id=63601476"]Williamsville Mayor Deborah Rogers says she received two letters from the county health department, the first being a general form letter about the mask mandate, and the second being a document noting a stipulation about mask non-compliance.
"Somewhere in one of the many mandates put out, there was a sentence that stated enforcement would lie with the department of health. so I do have signs on each end of the village hall, saying masking required if you're 2 and older and medically able to tolerate it," says Rogers. She says she doesn't work for the county health department and neither do her staff members. "I assume that if someone is not wearing a mask at my meeting, it's because that person is not medically able to tolerate wearing a mask."
Rogers says at the meeting Thursday, additional counsel will be retained as there's a conflict of interest among the village's counsel.
Rogers says her opposition is the mask should be about freedom of choice. "I am not anti-mask, I am simply of the belief our business owners should have the ability whether to require a mask in their own business," says Rogers, noting several owners have complained masking has been detrimental to their businesses.
She says she's also concerned about the county buying KN95 masks. "The Erie County Health Department has bought 400,000 KN95 masks, and it's been distributing them. It's telling that if the county health department is spending $400,000 on KN95 masks, why are we doing that if the cloth masks are so effective?" ponders Rogers.
The citation levied carries a $300 fine. If the village does no pay the fine, a hearing with the county would be scheduled and the fine could be escalated.
