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Mayors ‘flabbergasted’ at list of Arizona services Ducey order protects

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Posted at 9:41 AM, Mar 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-25 15:27:12-04

PHOENIX — Arizona mayors Tuesday questioned Gov. Doug Ducey’s inclusion of golf courses, pawnshops, laundries and other businesses in the definition of “essential services” that local governments would be barred from closing in response to the coronavirus.

FULL COVERAGE: Coronavirus in Arizona

Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans, who wrote to Ducey along with mayors from Tucson, Somerton, Tolleson and Winslow, said she understood why hospitals, groceries and gas stations were on the list, but that she and others were “flabbergasted” by some of the other choices.

RELATED: Mayors, cities can't close parks, essentials without going through Gov. Ducey

Flagstaff was one of the first cities in the state last week to close bars, dine-in restaurants, gyms, libraries, theaters and other venues where people gather, like bowling alleys and skating rinks, in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Ducey’s executive order Monday does not reverse any of those actions, but Evans said it strips away control from the local level where mayors who are closest to the members of the public know best how to protect them.

Read more from the Phoenix Business Journal.