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Residents ask Port Orange City Council to consider ending water fluoridation
Summary
Multiple Port Orange residents urged the City Council to add a vote on community water fluoridation after citing recent guidance from the Florida surgeon general and health concerns; councilmembers said they would investigate the issue and consider adding it to a future agenda.
Several Port Orange residents used the public-comment period to ask the City Council to place community water fluoridation on a future meeting agenda and to consider ending the practice.
Speakers described health concerns they attributed to fluoridation and pointed to recent public-health guidance. Jennifer Calusian, a Port Orange resident, asked council to “place a stop on the outdated practice of water fluoridation” and requested the item be scheduled so council could vote on it. Eden, an 11-year-old Port Orange resident, said the state surgeon general’s November 22, 2024 guidance recommended against community water fluoridation and urged the council to consider a vote.
The request drew additional public comment. Felicia Morrissey, a long-time Port Orange resident, said the Food and Drug Administration treats some fluoride uses as medical treatments and argued residents lack “informed consent” when the chemical is added to the public water supply. A commenter who identified himself as Palmer raised similar health and consent concerns and referenced a recent federal court ruling mentioned during public comment.
Council response was limited to requests for staff follow-up. Councilman Foley said he had received many emails on the subject and asked staff to investigate “a little bit further” so the council could determine whether to put the matter on a future agenda. Other councilmembers said they had also received constituent messages and signaled willingness to obtain more information before deciding whether to add the issue as an agenda item.
No formal motion or council vote to add fluoridation to the next agenda was made during the meeting. City staff and council members directed that staff gather information and return with details if the matter is to be scheduled for formal consideration.
Residents who spoke and the portions of the meeting where they spoke are recorded in the meeting transcript.
