City will no longer add fluoride to water

Apr. 24—After a few unsuccessful votes the Abilene City Commission in a 3-2 vote repealed the city ordinance directing city staff to add fluoride to the city's water. Commissioners Brandon Rein, Wendy Miller and Trevor Witt voted to repeal, and John Kollhoff and Amy Meysenburg voted to keep the ordinance. The repeal is effective immediately.

Before the discussion began, Ron Marsh, city manager, said the commission is responsible for the item being discussed, not any member of city staff.

Dr. Beatrice Brittan, dentist for Tallgrass Dental, gave a statement advocating for the city to continue adding fluoride.

"This decision will be costly and painful," said Brittan during her statement. "Not metaphorically painful — unnecessarily, physically painful for people and kids who will end up with more advanced dental problems. It will also create new financial burdens for families. It costs $4,400 to fluoridate our water annually. That's less than $0.70 per citizen each year. Dental work is much more expensive."

While water naturally has some fluoride, drinking twice as much water will not make up for less fluoride. Teeth need constant contact with a certain concentration of fluoride, Brittan said. The fluoride naturally in water is not a high enough concentration. Additionally, not every person is able to afford fluoride prescriptions, which are expensive.

Brittan said the Kansas Dental Association, American Dental Association, Oral Health Kansas, CDC and American Fluoridation Society and oral health professionals in the community have all sent emails to the commissioners on the need for fluoride in water.

To start the voting process, Kollhoff motioned to not repeal the fluoride ordinance. Miller then gave a substitute-motion to amend Kollhoff's motion to table the item until the next meeting. Witt, Miller and Meysenburg voted to amend the motion. For the motion to table the item, Meysenburg, Kollhoff and Rein voted to not table the item. Kollhoff again motioned to not repeal the fluoride ordinance. Witt, Miller and Rein voted against Kollhoff's motion. Witt then motioned to repeal the ordinance, which ended in the 3-2 vote in favor of the repeal.

Commissioner comments

Kollhoff said people who are against adding fluoride have options to get rid of the fluoride such as reverse osmosis filters. People who can afford such filters, however, will probably not have problems affording proper dental care for their children.

Meysenburg said she asked an organic chemist at Kansas State University to perform research for her. The chemist told her the consumption of fluoride in water is not dangerous.

Witt said he let his personal views of government influence his vote to repeal the ordinance. While he acknowledges the benefits of the fluoride, fluoride is not critical to the safety of city's water. The issue for him comes down to the "50/50 deal" of citizens who are for and against the ordinance.

"It's an elective decision. It does provide benefits, but this is as if the government is saying 'here, let me make a decision for you on your behalf,' and I just don't like that at all," Witt said.

Kollhoff, in response to Witt's comments, said the commission should be making these decisions for people who "should have people making better choices for them, and in many cases are not."

"I don't know if you've spent any time in grade schools," Kollhoff said. "I think that, looking at some of the social issues even in our community which I think is frankly one of the best, you would be really disappointed in some of the choices that those people, who should have people looking out for them and making good decisions for them, have made."

Kollhoff said he has mostly received public comments in support of the ordinance.

Rein said he agreed with what Witt shared. In a later statement to the Reflector-Chronicle after the meeting, Rein said the intent in his vote was to respect the voice of Abilene's citizens when the issue went to a public vote over four decades ago. According to the agenda document, the city asked in the April 1, 1980 election whether the city should add fluoride to their water. The results showed 1,329 votes for no and 626 for yes. Later, the city commission approved the fluoride ordinance in 1997, and city staff first began adding fluoride Feb. 1, 1999 when the Abilene Water Treatment Plant became operational.

"If there is a new ballot initiative requesting for the addition of supplementary fluoride into our water supply that passes with a majority of votes, that is at the will of our public electorate, not the will of a governing body mandating personal/private health decisions because we think we know what's best for you," Rein said.

The Abilene City Commission will next hold a meeting at 4 p.m. May 13 in the Abilene Public Library.