Several residents blasted Cedar Park council members Tim Kelly and Dorian Chavez on Thursday night for attending a protest last weekend in Austin against stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
The City Council meeting also turned heated on the dais, with Kelly and Chavez defending their actions and the mayor calling for a break after one council member cursed at Chavez.
Kelly posted a picture on Facebook of himself and a few other people, including Chavez, with their arms around each other at the “You Can’t Close America Rally” on April 18 at the Capitol. None had masks on.
Kelly said during the council meeting, which was conducted remotely because of social distancing measures, that he would consider wearing a mask if he went to future events.
“In hindsight it doesn’t look right we took that photo together and didn’t have masks on,” Kelly said of his Facebook photo. He said he attended the rally with friends and family because “I have to stand up for our rights.”
“There is a First Amendment for a reason,” Kelly said. “It is the most important of amendments.”
Chavez said he went to the rally in Austin as a private citizen.
“Attending a rally is the highest level of redress to our government and no one can take that away, and if you don’t like that it’s OK,” Chavez said. “I have gotten an overflow of support for what I have done.”
Chavez also said Mayor Corbin Van Arsdale had called the rally stupid and a sideshow.
Van Arsdale responded by saying he was not referring to the rally, but to those not wearing protective gear and not observing social distancing.
Cedar Park had 22 confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, a number that Van Arsdale said residents had helped keep low by following COVID-19 guidelines set by the Center for Disease and Control and Prevention.
Council members Anne Duffy and Mel Kirkland also expressed concern about Chavez and Kelly attending the protest. Duffy said council members had a duty to uphold public health concerns and to lead by example.
“I would like to look into a possibility of a special-called-meeting to take possible action against these council members as early as possible,” Kirkland said.
Duffy and Chavez also got into an argument Thursday about a controversial protest last summer against a drag queen story hour at the Leander library that Chavez and Kelly had attended. At one point Duffy called Chavez an “ a–hole,” with the mayor then briefly stopped the meeting.
Eight residents, also speaking remotely, said Kelly and Chavez were endangering the community because they did not wear masks or practice social distancing at the Capitol protest.
“I have never seen a more tone deaf and selfish action,” said resident Jonathan Edwards. “This is a slap in the face of every resident in this city. … I invite you to resign. There’s not an apology in the world that makes up for this behavior.”
Mary Schwindt said Chavez and Kelly had voted to approve the city’s emergency declaration, which specifically addressed taking measures to reduce the exposure to the disease.
“When you attended that rally, you demonstrated complete contempt for that declaration endangering your life and the lives of others,” Schwindt said.
Resident Christine Muat said she supported Kelly and Chavez’s actions.
“Thank you for continuing to stand up for our constitutional rights during this governmental overreach,” she said. “We are proud of you.”
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