The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has passed on some funding that would help pay for COVID-19 response in schools. During Thursday’s meeting, some members of the public asked the board to reject the $24,000 that would have been used to contract with RESA to respond to COVID, saying the funds would be used for testing. Commissioner Ezra Scott proposed a motion to table the resolution accepting the state funds.
“We all took an oath to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Michigan,” Scott said later. “We as a county board have no right getting into parental decisions on medical issues with their children.”
Commissioner Rayonte Bell was on board with tabling the matter until the commission could get answers from health officials on how the money would be used.
“I know there is some distrust in the community in the health department or the health community, and I want to make sure that we as commissioners are doing our job to act as a bridge between the community and the health community,” Bell said.
Board Chair Mac Elliott said he didn’t want to accept the money if it was going to create “a back door mask mandate.” Scott later rescinded his motion to table the resolution so the board could take a straight vote on the issue. The resolution to accept the state funds then failed on a vote of eight to four.
