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Port Orange residents press council on water fluoridation; city schedules March discussion
Summary
Multiple residents urged Port Orange officials to remove fluoride from the city water supply and cited recent reports and the Florida Surgeon General’s guidance; council set the topic for a March agenda item and encouraged residents to submit studies and comments ahead of that meeting.
A sizable group of residents urged the Port Orange City Council to remove fluoride — specifically hydrofluosilicic acid — from the municipal water supply and asked the council to pursue removal or at least to hold a robust public review.
Multiple speakers from Port Orange and neighboring cities described health concerns and urged the council to prioritize informed consent. One speaker explained she was “born and raised in Port Orange” and called fluoridation a “medicated treatment” for which residents receive no choice. Another speaker cited what she described as an NTP report and research compiled on children'shealthdefense.org to argue fluoride is neurotoxic and linked to cognitive deficits.
Council members acknowledged the volume of comments and set a formal council agenda item on the subject. At about 10:13 p.m. Mayor Stiltner directed staff to place “the topic of removing fluoride” on a future council agenda as a community forum item; Vice Mayor Grubbs later confirmed March 18 as the date the item will appear. “There is a ton of information out there from the department of health,” Vice Mayor Grubbs said, and he urged council and residents to review multiple sources and be prepared for a full discussion.
Speakers referenced a range of sources and claims. One speaker cited “Florida patient bill of rights, 381.026” and argued the city was not providing informed consent to residents. Several speakers also alleged a potential conflict of interest, saying the mayor has a business selling water filtration systems; one commenter said that raised questions about impartiality. The mayor and council refuted any implication of impropriety but agreed the item warranted formal vetting and public presentations.
Council members said they have received emails and documents and requested that residents submit studies or summaries to the city. Councilman Foley said the city's measured fluoride levels are significantly lower than the maximum allowed and emphasized he was open-minded and will review materials before March 18. Mayor Stiltner and other council members said they would review submitted studies and have one-on-one conversations with residents before the formal agenda discussion.
The council did not vote on fluoridation at this meeting; it scheduled a March agenda item for further presentations, public comment and deliberation.
Ending: The council asked residents to email studies and summaries ahead of the March meeting; staff and council said they will assemble presentations and materials for an extended discussion on March 18.
