@Stephen Sekula mentions a story here that brings up the notion of mask requirements. In a blog post tonight I mention how the city of Dayton in southwest Ohio just adopted a municipal requirement. I obliquely reference Ashtabula City in my post and why a requirement won't be adopted here.

To clarify I should note that home rule powers under the state constitution allow for the city to adopt such a requirement and to attach civil penalties to it. You could be fined if you don't wear a mask per a future ordinance. The problem is the city has to have the resources to be able to enforce that requirement on its own.

With the economy being thrashed locally our police force is pared back and is already refusing to respond to calls unless grievous bodily harm is involved. We went down the "defund police" road before there were protesters talking about "defund police" as our city government is basically broke. The worst thing they could do would be to adopt a requirement and then have no means in place by which to enforce it. Laws are not meant to be dead letters and making requirements that you don't, won't, or can't back up leads to a greater sense or lawlessness and disrespect for the law in an area that already has problems with that.

Strangely enough two-thirds of the counties in the state saw their infection rates go up week-on-week. Our county's rate continues but the rate declined week-on-week. We're not out of the woods yet.