ST. CLOUD — The St. Cloud City Council did not impose a city-wide mask mandate at a heated meeting Monday, despite a 4-2 vote in support of the move.
Four city council members voted in favor of the mandate and two voted against. It did not pass, however, because the emergency ordinance needed a supermajority vote. Five members would have had to vote in favor of the mandate.
Council members Carol Lewis, George Hontos, Steve Laraway and Dave Masters voted in favor of the mandate, and members Paul Brandmire and Mike Conway voted against. Jeff Goerger was not present.
Around 30 residents crowded a board room in the Stearns County Courthouse on Monday night, about half of them wearing masks and half of them not wearing masks. Some held handwritten signs with slogans like, "Mask Mandate or Resign!" or "Represent us not rule over us!"
Several times during the meeting spectators became disruptive, shouting at each other and the council. At one point before the vote the council took a 10-minute recess in an attempt to calm residents down.
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