King’s controversial State of Emergency declaration is hot topic--Mayor Jack Warren takes full responsibility

(By Leslie Bray Evans, The Stokes News) - Television cameras from local stations were rolling on Monday night at the King City Council meeting. March 1 was the first council meeting since the controversial State of Emergency declaration was made during the big winter storm the first weekend in February. Even before the floor was opened for public comments, King Mayor Jack Warren addressed the issue.

“There’s been a lot of concern in the community, and across the United States, I would say, about the decision to declare a State of Emergency,” Warren began. He then told how the council had a meeting that snowy weekend after Stokes County officials declared a State of Emergency countywide. According to Warren, it was recommended that the City of King follow suit.

The mayor said that the council went over all available information with law and emergency personnel and had options laid out before them. Then Warren made the call to declare the State of Emergency. He reiterated with firm conviction, “[The decision] was mine and mine alone. . .Nobody made that decision but me.”