Troy mayor urges residents to work together to keep schools, businesses open

After hearing that customers have refused to wear masks while shopping at local businesses, Troy Mayor Dallas Carr responded with a simple question.

“You keep your shirt and shoes on, so why not a mask for a short amount of time you will be in their store,” he wrote in a Nov. 30 letter addressed to Troy residents.

Carr opened his statement, published on Troy’s Facebook page, by asking members of the community and the surrounding area to follow basic public health measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Precautions such as abiding by Gov. Steve Bullock’s mask mandate, social distancing, washing hands frequently, staying home when sick and following local public health guidelines could help curb the transmission of the virus.

In an interview after the letter was published, Carr said he might not agree with all the approaches taken by Bullock and local health officials in handling the pandemic. However, he said expert guidance was needed to deal with the coronavirus and that he could not deny that COVID-19 is a serious threat.

As of Dec. 3 county health department officials reported 158 active cases. The virus has claimed the lives of nine residents. Two patients were hospitalized at the time.

To Carr, the small population and tight-knit community in Troy make the strain of the virus all the more tangible.

“We’re not like a big city,” he said. “When you lose someone here, you know it.”

Carr said he also felt the effects of the virus within his family circle. He has had a son, granddaughter and cousin who have either tested positive for the virus or had to quarantine after being exposed.

For those who object to public health measures such as wearing masks in public, Carr asked them to be considerate of the business owners who are trying to abide by state directives.

Bullock’s latest mask mandate requires face coverings to be worn in public across the state. Bars, breweries, restaurants and casinos may only host up to 50 percent of their capacity and are required to close by 10 p.m. Excluding schools and places of worship, gatherings may not exceed 25 people where social distancing isn’t possible.

Locally, Dr. Brad Black, public health officer for Lincoln County, has proposed an order that would mirror Bullock's mandate. As of Dec. 2, however, Black had not signed the order.

Carr noted that although health orders might require customers to wear masks for short intervals, the employees they interact with have to keep their face coverings on for hours on end.

While Carr said residents have a right to an opinion on how health measures are implemented by government officials, he argued that regardless of their political leaning they should be courteous to employees. It was thanks to their efforts, he wrote in his letter, that residents can get the goods and services they “need to continue on with our everyday lives.”

“What’s wrong with asking people to have patience and have respect for one another,” he said.

In his letter, Carr also stressed the importance of keeping schools open during the pandemic. He noted that in-person education greatly enhances learning while also providing much-needed social time for students.

In early November, Carr met with other elected officials in the area and members of the local medical community in hopes of presenting a unified front against the virus. Although he said he respects the efforts made to address the virus by officials such as Libby Mayor Brent Teske and County Commissioner Mark Peck (D-1), Carr said his letter was intended as a response to the state of the pandemic in Troy and was not a part of a larger countywide campaign.

During a Nov. 16, Libby City Council meeting, Teske urged residents to take the virus seriously. It was no longer an abstract threat as cases mounted in the county.

“The local COVID-19 rate has gone kind of through the roof,” he said. “It’s starting to be folks that we know who are affected by it. Please take caution.”

Carr said he had recently discussed responses to the virus with Jim Seifert, Troy’s representative on the county health board. Although he might not always side with Seifert politically, Carr said he agreed with his intent. The two were friends long before the start of the pandemic and Carr said he respected Seifert’s background as a pharmacist.

Seifert was appointed to the health board last month.

Carr’s letter prompted a mixed response on Facebook. Many residents thanked the mayor for speaking out in favor of public health measures. Others, who disagreed with the message, attempted to paint Carr’s statement as partisan posturing despite his insistence that his stance on the issue is apolitical.

Some also claimed that masks are not effective at stopping the spread of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, multiple studies conducted across the world have shown that universal masking in communities can significantly reduce the transmission of the coronavirus.

Nearing the end of his letter, Carr struck an optimistic tone, writing that a vaccine — and potentially an end to pandemic restrictions — appeared to be on the horizon.

“I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully the vaccines will be here sooner than later,” Carr wrote. “But until then, let’s please work together to keep the numbers (COVID-19) down, our businesses going, people employed and our children in school.”