CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FIFTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. F/S R-22-2 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Dan Lewis
RESOLUTION
title
F/S Setting City Policy Banning COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements For City Employees (Lewis)
body
SETTING CITY POLICY BANNING COVID-19 VACCINE REQUIREMENTS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
WHEREAS, On March 17, 2020, pursuant to Albuquerque’s Civil Emergency Powers Ordinance, Mayor Tim Keller declared a Local State of Emergency throughout the City of Albuquerque due to the effects of the novel coronavirus COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, A number of public health measures aimed at reducing transmission of COVID-19 have been implemented at the Federal, State, and Local levels, including but not limited to: face-covering requirements, social distancing requirements, occupancy limits, limitations on gatherings, encouraging increased hand washing, infection testing, contact-tracing, isolation and quarantine, reduction of in-person operations for businesses, closure of “non-essential” businesses, travel restrictions, school closures, cancellation of public events and other mass gatherings, and vaccinations; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 vaccination rates are increasing in the City of Albuquerque, with over 81% of Bernalillo County being fully vaccinated and over 94% of County residents having at least one shot; and
WHEREAS, The City urges all residents and City employees to receive safe and effective vaccines, however, doing so should be voluntary; and
WHEREAS, The public interest is served by maintaining the liberty of individuals to make intensely personal decisions according to their own convictions and comfort with personal medical decisions; and
WHEREAS, The decision whether to vaccinate is a personal choice, and City employees should not be coerced into making the decision based on fear of employment-related consequences; and
WHEREAS, A City vaccine mandate may lead to employee resignations, further exacerbating the City’s shortage of public safety personnel; and
WHEREAS, Attempts to implement vaccine mandates at the Federal and State level have faced intense opposition and legal challenges and have been repeatedly suspended and overturned throughout the country.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. Article 3 of the Albuquerque Code of Resolutions, “City Employees” is amended to add a new section, Section “3-3-20”, as follows:
“§ 3-3-20 No City Mandates for COVID-19 Vaccination. It shall be the policy of the City that, no City of Albuquerque employee will be required to obtain and/or provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and there shall be no consequence for an employee opting to not get vaccinated.”
SECTION 2. COMPILATION. Section 1 of this Resolution shall be incorporated in and made part of the Albuquerque Code of Resolutions, Chapter 3, Article 3, as “COVID-19 Vaccination Ban.”
X:\CL\SHARE\CL-Staff\_Legislative Staff\Legislation\25 Council\R-2 FSfinal.docx