Fort Worth, Arlington mayors say they won’t require businesses to mandate face masks
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley don’t plan to require businesses mandate face masks to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, even after Gov. Greg Abbott gave his approval of Bexar County’s plan to do so and other local officials said they would consider similar orders.
“While we all agree that we’re glad the governor has given us that authority, we do not feel like at this point in time, at least in Tarrant County, that we want to require it,” Whitley said Wednesday afternoon.
Across the state mayors and county judge’s said they were considering following in Bexar County’s footsteps after Abbott clarified local officials can impose face mask requirements on businesses — but not individuals.
“Mayor Price does not intend to regulate businesses through mandating face coverings,” Laken Rapier, a spokeswoman for Price, wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon. “Rather, Mayor Price continues to strongly encourage residents to continue taking precautions such as practicing social distancing and wearing face coverings in public.”
Rapier said they want businesses to know they have the option of mandating face masks under Abbott’s order, but that Price “does not want to put the onus of requirement on the backs of our businesses.”
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Williams said that no mask directive or order is planned or needed in Arlington currently, but stressed that masks are a proven and easy way to reduce the spread of the virus.
“The City of Arlington has encouraged and will continue to encourage people to wear masks as we fight the spread of coronavirus in our community,” Williams said. “We all want to see Arlington, the state and the country reopen as quickly and as safely as possible. Wearing a mask when in public is one way we can do that, while supporting our local businesses and protecting our loved ones and neighbors.”
Price and Williams were two of nine Texas mayors’ who signed a letter to Abbott Tuesday urging him to restore local officials’ ability to set rules and regulations to enforce residents wear face coverings. Abbott had stripped local officials’ of their ability to do so in late April, and pushed back on mayors’ request saying that they hadn’t yet taken advantage of the enforcement tools already at their disposal.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff issued an executive order Wednesday that requires businesses to mandate that employees and customers wear face coverings when in close contact or when six feet of separation is not feasible. Failure to do so by Monday may result in a fine up to $1,000 for each violation.
The order is in effect through June 30, and consistent with Abbott’s executive order it notes “no civil or criminal penalty will be imposed on individuals for failure to wear a face covering.”
Abbott approved of Wolff’s order in an interview with KWTX-TV in Waco Wednesday, and said that under the state’s executive order counties could always require that businesses mandate face masks.
“There has been a plan in place all along that all that was needed was for local officials to actually read the plan that was issued by the state of Texas,” Abbott said, adding that Wolff had “finally figured that out.”
“We want to make sure that individual liberty is not infringed upon by government, and hence government cannot require individuals to wear masks. However, pursuant to my plan, local governments can require stores and businesses to require masks. That’s what was authorized in my plan,” Abbott said.
Whitley said he would consider implementing more restrictions if the heads of local hospitals tell him they’re concerned about their ability to treat the rise in COVID-19 patients — which he said hasn’t happened. He hopes businesses in Tarrant County at least require their employees to wear face masks.
“I think they’re going to have problems, regardless,” Whitley said of businesses if restrictions were introduced. “And so, again, I hope that they don’t get to the point to where we have to ask them to do that. It’s going to have to get a whole lot worse before we’re headed to that point.”
Following Abbott’s comments Wednesday, other counties began to signal their intent to issue similar orders.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe is researching Bexar County’s order and considering one, and Austin Mayor Steve Adler said he will direct businesses to come up with a plan soon. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is consulting with the Harris County attorney on how to possibly draft a mask order, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who has clashed with Abbott previously over local enforcement, said in a statement Wednesday he was pleased with Abbott’s decision.
“Once enacted in Dallas County and in other local jurisdictions, this will save countless lives,” Jenkins said.
In the wake of Bexar County’s order, the grocery store chain H-E-B announced it would reinstate its policy requiring face masks in Bexar County stores starting Monday, according to KSAT-TV in San Antonio.
“Businesses, whether it be in Waco or San Antonio or wherever, they’ve always had the opportunity and the ability — just like they can require people to wear shoes and shirts — these businesses can require people to wear face masks if they come into their businesses,” Abbott said. “Now, local officials are just now realizing that that was authorized.”
Abbott’s executive orders supersede local ones, and both Fort Worth and Tarrant County had previously allowed their local stay-at-home orders to expire or mirror Abbott’s in order to not create any conflict.
Appearing via video Tuesday during a Fort Worth City Council work session, Price said she wanted the governor to launch a statewide mask campaign, but she didn’t appear willing to support a city mandate.
“You’re not going to get everybody to comply,” she said.
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 4:11 PM.
