STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom laid out on Friday criteria for counties to meet to allow less-impacted communities an opportunity to move further ahead of the state in lifting stay-at-home restrictions.
But some rural elected officials say the benchmarks are impossible to meet. Others are threatening legal action, arguing the governor has overreached his authority.
Placer County Supervisor Kirk Uhler is among a chorus of rural elected officials calling for the state to allow local control on a county level as communities grapple with an economy that has halted.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors is considering filing a legal injunction, though no formal steps have been taken.
"It's time to end this nonsense and let counties work individually to get our people back to work," Uhler said.
Uhler argues that the governor no longer has authority over local municipalities since hospitals in more rural parts of the state have not surged over capacity.
He said he believes the statewide stay-at-home order has run its course.
"We were trying to save lives," Uhler said. "In the course of that, we have destroyed livelihoods."
The governor has repeatedly said the state must act as one entity and be guided by data, warning that if counties move too quickly to reopen, a spike in cases is likely to occur — undoing progress made to flatten the curve.
San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti said the goal to reduce risk in coronavirus cases has been accomplished in many rural parts of the state.
"We want to thank the governor, he's done his job," Patti said. "Now it's time for us to do our job for local control."
Patti is calling for true regional flexibility. He said criteria laid out by the state for local government to reclaim some control of its own coronavirus response is "exceptionally difficult, and if not, impossible to be met."
The bench marks include having no more than one case per 10,000 residents and no deaths for two weeks. San Joaquin County had 15 new cases, and two new deaths this week.
In Placer County, County Executive Todd Leopold wrote in a statement that the county is working to meet the state's guidelines of higher test volume and contact tracing.
"We've been successful in flattening the curve in Placer County, and it's our hope and plan to help business included later in the state's Stage 2 roadmap move forward in the process as quickly as is safe to do so," Leopold wrote.
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Van Tieu.
READ MORE:
- California just revealed a $54.3 billion deficit — signaling deep cuts ahead
- Restaurateurs call on Sacramento to implement temporary cap on third-party delivery fees
- County or state guidance? California businesses confused on whose orders to follow
- Facing unknowns come November, California set to deliver mail-in ballots to all voters
FOR THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS,
DOWNLOAD OUR APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Daily Blend Newsletter