Branson Mayor, Aldermen Hear Public Comment on Delta Variant

During Tuesday night’s Branson Board of Aldermen meeting, the Aldermen heard a speaker discuss the COVID-19 Delta variant; this led to comments from Mayor Larry Milton and some aldermen.

Branson resident Nate Horseman was the first speaker during the Public Comment portion of the Board of Aldermen meeting. Horseman said the current situation “we find ourselves in is dire and it requires immediate attention.” Horseman stated that “we can no longer pretend that this is not happening, and we can no longer ignore the fact that Branson is worse off now than we were during the worst parts of the pandemic.” “I am addressing you Mr. Mayor and Aldermen Cooper, Denham and Fenton.” Horseman told them they got what they wanted with the mask mandate being gone.

He said the Delta variant is “ravishing our community” and that people are getting “sicker at faster rate than ever.” Horseman said the people must band together and act or there will not be much of a community left. “We tried it your way and your way is not working,” Horseman said.

“Your decision to lift the mandate with no safety net in place has only exacerbated the situation.” He then went on by listing some facts; he said the CDC shows Taney County as red or high transmission. “Taney County is averaging between 22 and 30 plus cases a day.” He said he believes those numbers are even higher than what is being reported. He also stated that Branson is averaging “well over 100 new cases a week” and 129 within the past four days of that meeting.

He went on listing statistics and said “we have been all over the national press. Even you Mr. Mayor were personally called out in Bloomberg magazine, and we have even been the brunt of jokes on late night television this week.” He later added that “vaccines are the only way” and said “I know everyone cannot be vaccinated for one reason or another but those that can should.”

“I don’t know what to do anymore,” he said near the end of his speaking time. He said “we are the crisis; we are the national hotspot.”

Later, Milton responded to Horseman. “You mentioned my name several times and some of the other Aldermen,” he said. Milton said that in his opinion “removing the mask mandate did not have the direct effect of what we’re experiencing today and I’m basing that only on one fact, and I am not a medical professional.” He said that when it comes to the Taney County seven-day average, when one looks at the numbers in the middle of April and those same numbers 30 days later in the middle and end of May, one will see the same number of cases in a seven-day average.

“If removing the mask mandate was the spur of causing all this grief that we’re in today, I think we would have seen it more quicker than 30 or 45 days out,” Milton said. He added that although Horseman directed his comments at him and individual Aldermen, ending the mandate was a unanimous decision. Milton then made a public comment statement; his prepared statement can be heard online.

Following his prepared statement, Milton said “I think this is a medical issue. I think COVID is very real. I believe it’s spiking in our area. I don’t think a politician is the one to answer a medical question.” Aldermen Clay Cooper and Ruth Denham made their own comments.