COVE — The Cove City Council is calling for Gov. Kate Brown to rein in many of her COVID-19 mandates.

The council on Tuesday, May 4, passed Resolution 2021-3, endorsing efforts to get Brown to roll back restrictions, which Cove Mayor Sherry Haeger said are becoming oppressive.

“We are in crisis — the situation has become an emergency,” Haeger said. “There is a state of emergency created by the governor’s office.”

Haeger said the city council wants the people of Cove to have the opportunity to make logical decisions.

“We want a voice in determining how we rule ourselves,” the mayor said. “We want to make common sense decisions instead of following Brown’s shutdown orders, which don’t make sense.”

Haeger said Brown’s mandates have hurt businesses enormously, and she wants to do everything she can to prevent more businesses from having to close.

The resolution the council approved asks that businesses receive reparations for their losses.

The mayor said she believes it is important businesses have more autonomy. Haeger said business owners should have the authority to determine whether their customers wear masks.

Resolution 2021-3 is almost identical to what the Baker City City Council approved March 23. Haeger signed the Cove resolution on Tuesday, May 11, and will send it to Brown later this week.

The resolution’s summation sentence reads: “Resolution declaring an economic, mental health and criminal activity crisis due to the current COVID-related state emergency declaration and relating OSHA mandates and guidance.”

One of its final paragraphs contains a quote from Thomas Jefferson: “The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain instances that I wish it to be always kept alive.”

In passing the resolution, Haeger said, the Cove City Council is becoming part of a grassroots movement she hopes other cities also will join.