The mayor of a city in western Kansas announced her resignation, citing threats made against her after she affirmed her support for the city commission’s previous decision to implement a mask mandate.
Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw announced her resignation on Tuesday, effective immediately, while law enforcement officials have been notified about some of the threats, according to USA Today.
“I understand people are under a lot of pressure from various things that are happening around society like the pandemic, the politics, the economy, so on and so forth, but I also believe that during these times, people are acting not as they normally would,” Warshaw said. “I think it’s best for me and the city that I love to remove myself from the commission at this time and from the mayorship so that the city can move forward and be the best that it can be, because I believe in the city.”
The threats were prompted after Warshaw, who was named to the city commission in 2012, was quoted in a Dec. 11 article supporting the commission’s passing of a mask mandate in November after more than 1 out of every 10 county residents had contracted the novel coronavirus.
“We just felt like we had to do something so everybody was aware of how important it was for everybody to be responsible for each other’s health and well-being,” Warshaw was quoted in the story from last week.
“I was saddened to see the letter from Mayor Warshaw,” Commissioner Kent Smoll said. “I have not talked with her. Her decision is a personal one and I respect it. She was and continues to be a great ambassador for Dodge City. I wish Joyce the best.”
More than 16.5 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States, and more than 300,000 people have died, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. Earlier this week, the Pfizer vaccine started to be distributed nationwide, and many medical first responders were given the first dosage.
