Passage of the ordinance was nearly delayed by an effort to push back the final vote for two weeks. That effort failed after council split evenly 5-5. Matson, exercising his authority as tiebreaker, voted not to delay the final vote on the ordinance. In a subsequent vote, the ordinance was approved 8-2.

“I understand my colleagues’ comments about maybe having more discussion. But I think we have. People who wanted to voice their concerns did today,” Matson said. He noted that council meetings are recorded and live-streamed online and that the conversion therapy ban received news coverage earlier in the month. “It’s easier than before even for you to comment to us,” Matson said.

Matt Dohrmann, Ward 5 alderman, supported the effort to delay a final vote. He acknowledged residents who “felt that we were being a bureaucratic government pushing unneeded ordinances through the system while a global pandemic was happening.” He added: “That’s not what I want Davenport to stand for, and I do not want that trust to be lost for our citizens.” In the final vote, Dohrmann was one of two council members who opposed the ordinance.