Divided council rejects vaccine mandate

CHENEY – In a split 4-3 vote Tuesday night, Oct. 26, the City Council rejected a last-minute ordinance that would require employees and volunteers – but not elected officials – to get a coronavirus vaccine or lose their jobs.

Council members Vincent Barthels, Ryan Gaard, Dan Hilton and Jill Weiszmann objected to requiring a related inoculation, an effort supported by Councilman Paul Schmidt and backed by council members John Taves and Teresa Overhauser.

During the meeting, Schmidt, Taves and Overhauser favored requiring employees to be “fully vaccinated” without any option for testing.

“If we’...