Hannibal council votes to ask Board of Public Works to begin process to stop adding fluoride to city water

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal City Council on Feb. 4 approved a resolution asking the Hannibal Board of Public Works to begin the procedural steps to stop adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water.

The measure, presented as a resolution rather than an ordinance, asks the Board of Public Works to start the notifications and steps required under state and local procedures. City staff told the council the Board of Public Works would need to follow a multi-step process that includes an approximately 90-day notification period and consultation with state agencies before any change could take effect.

The issue drew sustained public comment before council debate. An attendee identified in the transcript as a resident urged the council to remove fluoride, citing international studies and asserting that topical application — not ingestion — drives dental benefits. The resident told the council the issue had strong support in local social media polling and asked elected leaders to “remove this pharmaceutical in our water.”

Council members debated timing and next steps. One council member said staff and the Board of Public Works had indicated there are additional procedural steps the board must complete if council asks them to stop fluoride; that member said the resolution places the decision in the board’s jurisdiction rather than immediately changing city practice. Another council member said the American Dental Association and other sources report fluoridation reduces tooth decay by 20%–40%, information the council should consider before final action.

After discussion the council voted by roll call. Multiple council members recorded votes in the transcript: Councilman Phillips, Councilman Munger, Councilman Haycraft and Mayor Pro Tem Dobson voted yes; Mayor Lotterman declared the resolution adopted. The transcript does not clearly capture Councilman Cohen’s final spoken vote; the mayor declared the measure approved and directed that the Board of Public Works be asked to begin the cessation process.

City staff also told the council the Board of Public Works had already provided initial guidance on steps that would be required, including formal notices to state agencies. The council discussed whether to table the issue for further public input or to vote at a future meeting; the resolution moved forward at this meeting.

Because the resolution requests the Board of Public Works to begin its process rather than immediately changing water treatment procedures, any actual discontinuation of fluoride would depend on subsequent actions by that board and completion of required notifications.

Votes at a glance - Resolution (reference in packet: referenced as a request to cease fluoridation): Approved; roll-call recorded in transcript with Phillips, Munger, Haycraft and Mayor Pro Tem Dobson voting yes; Mayor Lotterman declared the resolution adopted. (Councilman Cohen’s spoken vote was not audible/clear on the record.) - Appointment: Cole Painter to Hannibal Board of Public Works, term to expire July 2028 — approved by voice vote. - Ordinances (bills read and given final reading): Bill 20537 (amending Chapter 12, Sec. 12-23) — passed (roll call recorded yes from all council members present); Bill 20538 — passed; Bill 25-038 (accepting dedication of private alley) — passed.

Why it matters: Water fluoridation is a public-health policy with direct effects on residents’ access to preventive dental benefits. In Hannibal the council’s action starts a separate Board of Public Works process; it does not itself immediately stop fluoridation.

What’s next: The Board of Public Works must complete the procedural steps outlined by staff, including required notifications, before any change to treatment would take effect. The council and staff indicated the subject could return to a future meeting for further discussion or final actions depending on the board’s timeline.