Unlike their counterparts in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls City Council did not get much of a chance to debate a mandatory face-covering by-law, despite the matter coming up twice during the Council meeting.
Councillor Vince Kerrio made a motion at the top of Tuesday's meeting asking that the city refrain from any debate until the Region considers such a by-law at their meeting on July 23rd.
Kerrios says the by-law St. Catharines Council passed last night and anything Niagara Falls could pass will become redundant if the Region moves forward next week with a mandatory mask by-law.
"If the Region doesn't deal with it, then maybe we deal with it sooner, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't think we should do it until we see what the Region does because it makes more sense to have a region wide, universal, mask by-law than a city by city by-law"
Councillors Carolynn Ioannoni and Lori Lococo both voted against the motion saying the time to deal with the matter is now. The majority of Council, however, sided with Councillor Kerrio and his motion passed.
Later in the meeting, Councillor Ioannoni, quoting an interview that Mayor Jim Diodati did with the Niagara Falls Review last week, where he indicated that "there’s nothing wrong with (city) council weighing in with their opinions”, made a motion attempting to get Council to endorse the Region passing a such a by-law.
Council members again cited a lack of information on not knowing what the Region was proposing and the motion was defeated, however, on this vote Councillor Victor Pietrangelo sided with Councillors Ioanonni and Lococo voting in favour of sending a masking endorsement.