Phoenix Mayor Gallego ‘nervous’ about Ducey’s essential services edict
Mar 25, 2020, 7:30 PM | Updated: Mar 26, 2020, 9:40 am
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, right, sits with Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser during a morning session at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, where Gallego later talked about the challenges of providing affordable housing in a fast-growing city like Phoenix. (Photo by Christopher Scragg/Cronkite News)
(Photo by Christopher Scragg/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX — Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego is nervous about an executive order issued by Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday that lists essential services in the event of a shelter in place order.
Gallego told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad that the order could limit the city’s decision-making power and possibly force workers to be put in poor situations during the coronavirus outbreak.
The mayor also posted tweets on Tuesday stating that cities have the best pulse of its residents’ needs.
“What I’m saying to the governor is we want to be your partners,” Gallego said. “We all want to keep Arizonans as safe as possible, but we need more tools to be able to respond. We are nervous about this executive order.”
Gallego doesn’t believe that some of the businesses deemed essential by Ducey’s order should be that way.
Gallego and others have criticized Ducey’s decision to keep golf courses open during the pandemic.
The mayor also mentioned salons as an essential business that could be problematic because of close contact.
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Ducey included dozens of types of businesses and services on his essential list.
The Republican governor said earlier in the week Arizona doesn’t have any immediate plans to enact a shelter in place order like many other states and cities have.
“We are not sure how he came up with the list of what he considers essential,” Gallego said. “Many of our employees might be safer at home if he were to declare stay at home. It is a very serious situation and we want only the most essential people working.”
