“When you are telling people it’s OK to break a state law and I have a blueprint for when to do it, it’s just shocking. Almost have no words anybody would say something like that,” 5th Ward Alderman Carl Franco said.
The mayor encourages people to attend the city-sponsored fireworks show, but part of his message also seems to contradict that, saying “If you already bought your fireworks, I would suggest using them on July 3rd while police are busy handling traffic from the city-sanctioned fireworks display.”
Dan Hoffman is a retired Aurora police commander.
“What was posted was illegal, immoral and denigrates the integrity of the police department the mayor is supposed to run,” Hoffman said.
The mayor, who took office earlier this year, says he wants people to comply with the law.
“Hopefully nobody violates the ordinance. I’m a realist. I’ve lived in Aurora a long time,” Laesch said.
Alderman Franco disagrees.
“This is a state law. So, I don’t know how you can violate that. It’s really mind-boggling,” Franco said.
The mayor says he intends to be out with police on the Fourth of July, helping enforce the ordinance banning fireworks.
But some critics say the law may now be hard to enforce.
