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Macon-Bibb community, sheriff weigh in on mask mandate

The mandate does not go into effect until Mayor Robert Reichert signs off on it.

MACON, Ga. — When Bibb commissioners passed a mask mandate Tuesday night, they knew it would be a polarizing issue.

"I'm gonna shop at Home Depot because I don't wanna wear a mask, or I'll shop at Lowe's because I'll feel safer. When you take that away, and you make it so that every business owner and every person, every patron has to abide by it, you're taking away our right to choose," said Clay Jones.

Jones says his concern is that a local mandate will cause more divisiveness.

"The hierarchy is local, state and federal, and our state has mandated that this is not something to be done," he says. 

Jones also says the mandate will be difficult for the sheriff's office to enforce.

"It's a little bit unique in this situation in that the sheriffs work for the governor and if you remember when all this started, the governor designated sheriffs as his arm to assist in enforcing his orders," Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said.

Davis says technically, the sheriffs across the state are obligated to follow the orders of the Governor, including the executive order that allows private business owners to mandate masks inside.

"If a person comes into a business and a business person says you need to wear a mask, and they come on in, then that becomes almost like a trespassing thing," he said.

Davis is now waiting for Reichert's decision, but he says he's glad something is being done.

"I think we're accomplishing something by the mere fact that the county commission has created an ordinance which creates conversation," Davis said.

Reichert has 10 days to sign the mandate into effect. Davis says he'll continue to talk to county leaders about the decision. 

If signed, Macon joins the growing list of cities in Georgia with mask mandates, like Athens and Atlanta.

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