An item not on the Mexico City Council agenda stirred more debate than the scheduled points last Monday night.

Mayor Ayanna Shivers introduced the opportunity for the council to make a statement in support of the Audrain County Health Department’s mask advisory, issued on Nov. 12. The advisory urges, but falls short of mandating, county residents to wear face coverings while in public.

The health department asked communities and organizations to pass such a resolution.

“We believe if the municipality or organization endorses the advisory, the overall public awareness surrounding the importance of wearing a mask will be elevated,” said ACHD Administrator and CEO Craig Brace.

Each member of the council expressed support for the health department’s decision, and a statement eventually passed unanimously. But a quick vote bogged down over several concerns.

Chris Miller questioned whether they should issue a statement as a board or as individuals, while personally expressing his support. Shivers observed that a vote as a collective body would carry more weight.

“We need to make a statement as a council,” she said.

There was some discussion over whether residents could misconstrue such a vote as a mandate. Miller worried if that was the case, there may be a ripple effect – fewer people visiting local business.

But support for the advisory was clear. Steve Haag, who is an instructor at Mexico High School, observed that everyone in the school district was anxious to get back to the classroom.

“Wear your masks. Social distance,” he said.

The Mexico School District temporarily suspended in-school classes in early November following a reported increase in COVID-19 cases around the county.

On Nov. 6, the health department reported 85 active cases. That jumped to 138 ten days later. On Monday there were 132 known active cases in Audrain County, not including those at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center.

Eleven residents have died. As of Nov. 23, 13 were hospitalized.

“These numbers show that we have been experiencing an increasing wave for the past three weeks and every effort should be deployed to slow the spread of the virus,” Brace observed. “The increase in hospitalizations is placing a strain on area health care systems and, not just because the cases are coming from only residents.”

Area hospitals have suffered reductions to their workforce as staff are forced to quarantine due to COVID-19.

“It’s still not a mandate,” council member Chris Williams observed afterward. “I’ll support anything that says ‘look out for the safety of the public.’ "

The real sticking point was over the form that support should take. Williams favored a motion on a statement of support of ACHD’s advisory as opposed to a formal resolution – an idea that eventually won out.

By the usual council rules, a resolution must be read again before a vote is taken. This typically means it must return to the agenda for the next scheduled council meeting.

“This is an emergency,” Williams told his colleagues. “I don’t want to wait two weeks for a resolution to come back.”