The Lion's Den: Mayor of Georgia coastal town assails governor's 'reckless mandate' to reopen the state's beaches

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Mayor of Georgia coastal town assails governor's 'reckless mandate' to reopen the state's beaches

(CNN)Tybee Island, one of Georgia's most popular vacation destinations, depends on beachgoers to keep the town's economy alive.

But in an effort to curb the coronavirus, the city council voted to close the beaches March 20. The town went so far as to put up barricades and signs to keep beachgoers away.

The town's good intentions were upended on Thursday when Gov. Brian P. Kemp issued a statewide shelter-in-place executive order which supersedes all local orders relating to coronavirus -- and also opened up the state's beaches.

The governor put Tybee Island back in the beach business -- whether the town liked it or not.

Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions fired back on Saturday, issuing a statement saying she and the town council don't want the beaches reopened now.

"As the Pentagon ordered 100,000 body bags to store the corpses of Americans killed by the Coronavirus, Governor Brian Kemp dictated that Georgia beaches must reopen, and declared any decision-makers who refused to follow these orders would face prison and/or fines," Sessions' statement read.

"Tybee City Council and I are devastated by the sudden directives and do not support his decisions. The health of our residents, staff and visitors are being put at risk and we will pursue legal avenues to overturn his reckless mandate."

January 3, 2020 at 5:53 AM EST - Updated January 3 at 5:53 AM

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - The new year brings a couple of changes to Tybee Island’s city council, including a new mayor.

On Thursday, Shirley Sessions and several city council members were sworn in during a ceremony at the Tybee Post Theater. It was a historical moment because Sessions is the island's first female mayor. It's also the first time the island has seen a new mayor in over a decade.

Former Tybee Island Mayor Jason Buelterman announced last year that he would not run again due to seeking the seat for Chatham County Commission Chair.