Commissioners table decision to restore fluoridation after staff briefing and public comment

Lincoln County commissioners on Tuesday heard a detailed update on the county water fluoridation system and then voted to table any decision on restoring the chemical feed.

Andrew Bryant, county public‑utility/planning staff, told the board that the county’s fluoridation equipment had been in place since the 1980s, was included at the Lake Norman plant in 1992, and has not been injected from county facilities since a 2018 structural failure. Replacing the tank, metering pumps, piping, a failed slab and integrating additional SCADA controls would require design and construction work “that that cost comes a total to around $1,400,000,” Bryant said.

Bryant summarized three motions the Lincoln County Board of Health passed earlier this year: to require customer notification of fluoridation status, to continue fluoridation at proper dosing (a 5–2 vote by the Board of Health), and to allow board members to speak on their own behalf. He recommended the project be considered as part of the county budget process so elected officials could evaluate cost and timing as a major utility expenditure.

Several members of the public addressed the board during the public‑comment period. Brian David, who identified himself as a Lincoln County resident and school bus driver, urged commissioners to set aside personal views and weigh benefits and risks objectively: “Please set aside your personal views about fluoride,” he said, asking the board to consider both public‑health evidence and community concerns.

Lisa Tobler told commissioners she does not want fluoride in her water and questioned whether a large capital expense is fiscally prudent given shifting national debates about fluoridation. Dr. Camie Benton, who identified herself as a medical doctor and as a member of the Board of Health, said she opposes fluoridation and cited recent litigation and studies she said raise concerns about risks to children: “I vote against fluoridation of our city water,” Benton said.

Following the presentation and public comments, Commissioner Trent Carpenter moved to table the item to a later meeting so the board can consider it during budget deliberations. The motion passed unanimously. The county staff presentation and Board of Health motions were recorded in the meeting packet; commissioners said the topic will return to the board for further fiscal review and public input during upcoming budget sessions.

What happens next: staff recommended the matter come back as part of the county’s budget planning so that commissioners can consider engineering estimates, funding options and public‑notification plans before taking formal action.