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Sheboygan County Administrator addressed an upset crowd outside the Sheboygan County Courthouse about the health order ordinance proposal.
Sheboygan Press
SHEBOYGAN – “Fire Adam Payne,” and “Coronavirus, a staged crisis.”
“My health is my responsibility,” and “Vaccine mandates violate bodily autonomy.”
These were some of the messages written on the signs of over 100 protesters at what was described as a health freedom rally Tuesday evening outside the Sheboygan County Courthouse.
It took place right before the County Board meeting where a proposed public health ordinance was referred to the Executive Committee for review. The ordinance would give the County Board oversight of orders issued by the county’s public health officer and create fines that could be used as an alternative to criminal penalties for people who violate those orders. No orders have been issued.
County Administrator Adam Payne spoke to the crowd using a megaphone as many shouted over him, but others in the crowd asked people to quiet down so they could hear what Payne had to say.
Payne said the county’s public health officials already have powers to issue and enforce an order under state law. If 50 percent of the county’s intensive care or surgical beds were filled with COVID-19 patients, he said, “they see that as a tipping point to them possibly being overrun like we’ve seen in New York and other communities.”
“We hope it never happens here, but that is what they’ve told us,” he said. “If that happens, that is when we would want our public health officer to put in an order for more social distancing or steps.”
Members of the crowd shouted “No!” and “No, we wouldn’t!”
Payne then explained that the county’s proposed ordinance would create legislative oversight of such an order, which would come from the Health and Human Services Committee and the Executive Committee.
“Right now that doesn’t exist,” Payne added, again to a chorus of disapproval.
His final point was about the civil penalties that the ordinance would add: $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $100 for a third or more offense.
“We don’t want our police officers and deputies spending time enforcing mask ordinances and social distancing,” Payne said. “… But we want our public health professionals to be able to follow up with bad actors, so (this proposal) softened the state law from jail — which, no one’s going to go to jail for (not) wearing a mask or not social distancing — to fines.”
When he talked about the fines spelled out in the ordinance, someone shouted back, “Screw your fines.”
Many of the people gathered were not wearing face coverings — including Payne while he was speaking — and most people were closer than 6 feet from someone else.
Payne said in his 22 years of being county administrator, this is the first time he’s seen a protest like that one, and he appreciated people’s interest in county government.
To that, people in the crowd said, “There will be more.”
More: From casino to public pool, Sheboyganites weigh in on what should take the Armory’s place
Reach AnnMarie Hilton at ahilton@gannett.com or (920) 242-3032. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.
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