Fluoride survey going in water bills
City of Abbotsford residents will be asked to weigh in on whether the city should stop fluoridating its water supply as part of a three-question survey to be sent out with the next round of utility bills.
Before deciding whether or not to stop adding fluoride to the city’s water, as suggested by the former mayor, city council members would first like to hear from more of the people who use it on a daily basis.
At its Sept. 17 meeting, the council decided to table a resolution that calls for discontinuing the addition of the fluoride based on “recent studies and ongoing public debates” that “have raised questions regarding the potential health risks associated with water fluoridation, including concerns about overexposure to fluoride and its potential effects on vulnerable populations.”
The council heard from a city resident, the local dentist and Clark County’s public health nurse – all of whom spoke in favor of continuing fluoridation as a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay, especially among children from low-income homes who may not be able to afford fluoride-infused toothpaste, mouthwash and other supplements.
“It’s my personal opinion that we keep community fluoridated water at its current levels because it’s literally our number one weapon to fight cavities,” said Dr. Matt Bluth, owner of First City Dental, citing studies that show a 25 percent reduction in cavities among children as the result of water fluoridation.
While there are “mountains of evidence” that show the oral health benefits of fluoridated water, Dr. Bluth said the concern about fluoride negatively affecting children’s IQ levels is based on studies where the level of fluoridate in the water is significantly higher than the .7 parts per million included in this country.
“Currently – or at least I haven’t seen any – there are no big longitudinal prospective studies that prove that community fluoridated water has negative effects on IQ levels in children here in the USA,” he said. “All of the big studies that have been done have been done outside the U.S. at a much higher level than is allotted here in the United States.”
Dr. Bluth also noted that Calgary, Canada saw a dramatic increase in cavities and a 700 percent rise in infections requiring IV treatment after it removed fluoride from its water 10 years, leading to the reintroduction of the chemical following a citywide vote in 2021.
When it comes to chemicals and human health, Dr. Bluth said the “dose makes the poison.”
“We use chlorine in our water, which can have very bad effects on people at very high levels,” he said. “However, at low levels, it’s very crucial, very effective for the cleanliness of our water. Same with fluoride.”
Following a discussion at its Sept. 2 meeting, when former mayor Lori Voss asked the council to consider stopping it water fluoridation, the city put a poll on its Facebook page and also provided a survey for residents to fill out at city hall.
City administrator Josh Soyk said 196 people voted to remove fluoride treatment from the water (54 percent) and 90 people voted to keep it. However, Ald. Paul Erikson said he spoke to some of his constituents who said Facebook did not accurately record their votes and worried that the city was getting “misinformation.”
Soyk acknowledged that he knew for a fact that at least six people who voted on either side of the issue do not live in Abbotsford.
Resident Sharon Archambo said she and other citizens “appreciate having fluoride in the water to prevent cavities in our children,” and urged the council to include a survey with the water bills to get “a better indication of what the community wants.”
Brittany Mews, Clark County’s public health officer, read a letter from Dr. Maggie Chekka, a pediatric dentist at First Impressions in Marshfield, who expressed her “strong support for the continuation of municipal water fluoridation” in Abbotsford.
In her letter, Dr. Chekka said her practice serves about 140 patients from the Abbotsford area, about 40 of whom use BadgerCare as their primary health insurance.
“We see an astonishing amount of severe tooth decay in patients as young as one, two and three years of age,” she said. “If community water fluoridation were to cease, I cannot begin to imagine how much this would negatively impact our pediatric population.”
Dr. Chekka said the $5,000 per year the city spends on fluoridating its water translates into an estimated $80,000 in savings by preventing dental diseases. She noted that alternatives such as fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash are often unaffordable for lower income families. She echoed Dr. Bluth’s critique of the studies mentioned in the city’s resolution and urged council members to consider the benefits of fluoridation.
“As a healthcare provider truly in the thick of it, I urgently ask you to vote no on this resolution and to maintain Abbotsford’s safe and tenured program of community water fluoridation at the optimal level,” she wrote.
When it came time for the council to discuss the resolution last week, Ald. Mason Rachu led off the conversation by saying he believes the city should “leave it the way it is” when it comes to fluoridation.
Ald. Jeremiah Zeiset, however, said city residents who don’t want to drink fluoridated water for whatever reason “don’t have a choice” at this point.
“So, I lean towards leaving it up to the people myself,” he said.
Soyk said “no one’s questioning the effectiveness of fluoride.”
“I think everyone knows there’s a benefit to it,” he said. “I think it comes down to a personal choice between people who want to drink it and don’t want to drink it.’
When Soyk mentioned that the recommended level of fluoride was dropped in 2025 from 1.1 to .7 mg/L, Mews said that was done to prevent fluorosis, which is “mostly a cosmetic” issue that causes discoloration and pitting. Ald. Selenia Espino said she thinks the council needs more feedback than what was provided by the Facebook/city hall poll, especially for Hispanic residents who may need to be educated on the issue.
“I do think we need to send this out to every resident here in Abbotsford,” she said. “As far as our culture is concerned, I don’t think that they would even understand what this means. I think it’s important that we somehow get that information to them as well, and not just based on however many votes we had.”
Soyk said the city has had “terrible luck” with getting responses to previous surveys included with water bills, but he agreed to do it at the council’s direction.
The survey, which will be sent out next Friday, Oct. 3, will include three questions: 1. Do you believe the City of Abbotsford should continue adding fluoride to the water supply? 2. How concerned are you about the potential health effects of fluoride in drinking water? 3. Do you believe the benefits of fluoride in drinking water outweigh the risks?
Other business
■ Accountant Lucas Dorn of Johnson Block presented an overview of the city’s 2024 audit, noting “a very positive” trend in the city’s fund balance, which was large enough at the end of last year to cover up to four months worth of general fund expenses. He said the city’s TIF districts showed some deficit spending last year, but they are projected to recoup their costs over the long term.
The city also added $682,000 in debt last year to pay for water projects, he said, but Abbotsford still has 70 percent of its debt capacity (about $7 million) available. In the future, though, he said the council should “seriously consider” raising the city’s sewer rates after the utility showed a financial loss for the third year in a row.
■ The council voted to split the city’s municipal funds between accounts at both AbbyBank and Nicolet Bank, which both offered a 4.5 percent interest rate on the city’s balances.
■ The council approved the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department’s 2026 budget, which includes a $587,389 contribution from the city next year. The budget includes 2 percent raises every six months for both police officers and the police chief, lieutenant and department secretary, which were also approved by the council. The department’s overall budget of $1.4 million represents a 4.8 percent (about $64,000) increase over this year.
■ The council voted to charge outside contractors $150 per load to dump clay slurry at the city’s landfill, which requires some extra for city employees to handle. DPW Craig Stuttgen had initially recommended a $50 per load fee just to cover the city’s costs, but the council decided to increase the amount to $150.
■ The council approved a $170,208 pay request from Haas Sons for work the company has done to extend Linden Street to the east and Grube Street to the south in the city’s two industrial parks. A $9,825 change order was also approved for the project to account for an unexpected increase in the price of storm sewer extensions. Stuttgen said he still expects the overall project to come in under budget by about $40,000.
■ The council accepted a quote of $15,000 from MH Construction (Mike Hryndej) to demolish two trailers ($7,500 each) at 303 Oak St., with the cost being placed on the property owner’s tax bill.
■ The council approved a $7,000 contract with MSA Professional Services to draw up a certified survey map needed to delineate the boundaries between three lots in the city’s western industrial park, one of which is being sold to a business developer. Soyk said the city is also working to secure a separate development deal for one of the other lots.
■ The council approved $539,733 in monthly bills.
