Ocala council repeals city fluoridation ordinance following state law; residents urge caution

The Ocala City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2025-25 on second reading to repeal the municipal ordinance that required adding fluoride to the city potable water supply, council members said, in order to comply with new state law. The ordinance was read into the record by the city clerk and presented by City Engineer Sean Lanier.

The measure removes the city-level requirement to fluoridate and cites the state statutory change referenced in the ordinance. Lanier told the council the agenda item "supports the city's strategic goal of quality of place" and that Governor Ron DeSantis had signed a bill prohibiting fluoridation of public water supplies; staff recommended approval to align local code with the state statute.

The repeal prompted one public commenter, Jason Golczewski of 4434 NE 209th Street, to urge the council to reconsider or at least weigh alternatives. Golczewski, who identified himself as a former U.S. Army military police officer, said Ocala "is now the fastest growing city in the country" and asked whether adding fluoride to tap water was "really the best and safest decision for Ocala today." He cited international comparisons and said "toothpaste allows for safer voluntary use," and raised questions about the source and purity of material added to water supplies.

Council discussion was brief. Councilman Leslie said he would "vote against this," noting he was not advocating violating state law. The subsequent roll call recorded votes as follows: Councilman Bethea — Aye; Councilman Hilty — Aye; Councilman Leslie — Nay; Councilmember Dreyer — Aye. The ordinance was adopted.

Why it matters: The adopted change removes a local code requirement and follows a state-level change cited in the ordinance text. The city will no longer require addition of fluoride to the municipal potable water supply; any further changes to water treatment practices would be separate actions and may require state-level review or procurement actions.

What the ordinance does: The ordinance repeals the city code provision authorizing fluoridation, cites the applicable state statute as the reason for the change, directs staff to update the code, and sets an effective date for the repeal.

Public comment and staff role: Golczewski asked the council to consider alternatives such as UV or ozone disinfection and to prioritize education and access to dental care. Sean Lanier remained available to answer technical questions but did not present alternative water-treatment plans during the hearing.

Next steps: The repeal takes effect as provided in the ordinance. The council did not adopt any companion local program to replace community fluoridation; any future action on water treatment, public-health outreach, or alternative disinfection technologies would be separate agenda items.