- February 26, 2025
The City Commission recently accepted bids from suppliers of chemicals to be used in water treatment for the coming year. The lone “no” vote came from Commissioner Troy Kent. The cost for chemicals is estimated at $519,000.
In his remarks before the vote, Kent said he was sure it no surprise to the commission that he was voting no. He said that several years ago, he sent a letter to the company that supplies fluoride (hydrofluosilicic acid), asking them if they would vouch for the safety of the chemical, and they did not respond.
“Until they respond, or the City Commission makes a water accountability ordinance, I vote no,” he said.
After the meeting, Kent said he first began to research the issue when the Centers for Disease Control kept changing the recommendation for the amount of fluoride that is safe.
In the past he has proposed an ordinance stating that anything added to water to treat human beings, such as fluoride, should be certified by the supplier to be safe for human consumption from infancy to old age. He said he plans to put it forward again.
“Should we be medicating people with our water supply just because it’s been done since the 1950s?” he asked.
The amount of fluoride in Ormond Beach city water meets U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations.
