Temple Mayor Proposes Mask Mandate, Invites Public Comment During City Council Meeting

Temple Mayor Tim Davis is asking the Temple City Council to make wearing face coverings mandatory when social distancing is not possible.

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, Mayor Davis said the City of Temple has followed the lead of Bell County throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in order to "have consistent requirements as residents move across the county as they work, shop, and dine".

"As the mayor of Temple, I no longer believe that is the best strategy," he said.

In response to the continued rise in positive cases of COVID-19 in our region, Mayor Davis says he now believes the City of Temple should make wearing masks mandatory. He said the decision is not an easy one, and that he understands that not everyone in Temple shares the same opinion on masks.

The proposal will be discussed at a City Council meeting at 5 PM today, and Mayor Davis is encouraging citizens to offer their opinions during the public comment period.

Tonight's meeting will be held at the Municipal Building, 2 North Main Street in Downtown Temple. You can also join the meeting virtually. The City of Temple's website features instructions on how to do this.

Killeen Mayor Jose Segarra issued a directive Wednesday mandating the use of face coverings in commercial buildings where social distancing is not possible. Directive 4 went into effect at 12:01 AM today. You can read a PDF copy of Directive 4 here.

Segarra went on to add that face masks are not required when exercising inside a gym when there is enough distance between people working out. Churches are not considered "commercial" businesses, and the mayor says that they should continue to follow Governor's Abbott's social distancing guidelines.