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Brown: Council approves proclamation supporting reopening of Queen Creek businesses

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About opening Arizona, about opening QC and about Queen Creek businesses and residents, the Town of Queen Creek mayor and council have been working since last week on the attached proclamation. It was finalized a couple of days ago and read into the record last night.

As you all already know, I love our residents and our business owners. It’s been heart-wrenching to see all who’ve been impacted so greatly over the past couple of months.

Like others, my heart hurts for those who’ve suffered a little --- and even more so for those who’ve suffered greatly. Their stories are numerous and heart-breaking to say the least.

Many of them are my very own friends and neighbors, some of them are folks I personally helped land in Queen Creek and helped cut grand-opening ribbons with. All of them are just generally people I care deeply about and for whom I have great respect and admiration.

As most town residents likely are fully aware, the Town of Queen Creek itself didn’t close or shutter any businesses and hasn’t disallowed anyone from working or being productive. Not even one.

You’ll recall that the governor’s executive orders, and A.RS. § 26-307, usurped local control in great measure. Those orders stated “no county, city or town may make or issue any order, rule or regulation that conflicts with the policy, directives or intent of this executive order, including any order, rule or regulation that limits an individual from conducting, participating in or receiving essential services, essential activities or non-essential services as set forth in the governor’s executive orders.”

The legal recourse then has been to work with the governor --- and state legislators --- throughout the duration, but even more so over the past few weeks to help them all to understand the local QC impacts of the orders as they likewise factor in the public health data and information that they have so much more access to.

Last night’s Town Council meeting saw the attached QC proclamation in support yet again of Queen Creek’s businesses and workers, along with a reaffirmation of our own ongoing efforts in support of assisting QC businesses to recover and have as soft a landing as possible.

Of course I’ll personally continue to encourage folks to maintain proper hygiene and take reasonable precautions against the spread of COVID-19.

Jeff Brown
Queen Creek Town Council

Editor’s note: The above is excerpted from a post on Facebook @JBQCTownCouncil.