At our Delmont Borough council meeting Dec. 8 — I’ve been told — not one member, except the borough solicitor, wore a mask. I attended remotely for safety reasons in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines regarding indoor meetings.
In recent months, I have been in the minority on my council in regard to wearing a mask. Meetings have been attended by members of the public and reporters. And yet no one says anything about our local elected representatives defying a lawful order made to protect the people they’re supposed to serve. Not one reporter has mentioned it in their articles about these meetings, despite reporting on the Westmoreland County controller not wearing a mask to a meeting earlier this year.
If our own local municipal officials can flout the law without consequence, why should we expect our average resident to obey any of our ordinances or adhere to our local codes when it inconveniences them? Apparently “because I don’t like it” is justification enough to ignore public health standards and lawful orders to the detriment of the community.
Until residents start demanding their elected representatives abide by the same laws the citizens have to follow, and until reporters do more reporting on community leaders who put the public at risk by refusing to take measures to stop the spread, local elected officials will continue to disregard the health and safety of community residents and more people will follow their lead, increasing rates of infection throughout our area.
Bill Marx
Delmont