Mayor Martin Hicks of Grants, New Mexico has asked businesses to open their doors this week in defiance of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s stay at home orders.
Hicks called all of the city’s 100 employees back to work Monday, opened the city’s only golf course and asked all local businesses to do the same.
At least four businesses opened its doors. All of them had some sort of social distancing measures in place such as allowing only one or two customers in at a time. A fifth one, an office supply shop, posted 'going rogue' on its main sign that faces the only highway that runs through town. It posted another notice on its door indicating it was opening Tuesday.
The state police eventually showed up at the city’s golf course and gave them a “notice of violation” indicating they could be fined $5,000.
Mayor Hicks reportedly rushed to the scene.
He rushed to the golf course, told all of the golfers who were coming off to get back on and finish their games.
'What's wrong? Social distancing guys get a shot of that,' Hicks told reporters while holding his arms up and walking towards a wide open golf course. 'How is that for social distancing.'
'I am going to come back and golf today for sure and haven’t golfed in years.'
Cibola County Sherriff Tony Mace has refused to enforce the governor's public health order. KOAT reports he was seen at a pawn shop in Grants.
'There are a lot of other things out there I could be dealing with,' Mace said. 'Who am I to say who is an essential business and who is not essential.'