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From fluoride to sales taxes, area residents will have several local issues to decide when they go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Wisner, Madison, Ainsworth and Battle Creek are among communities with at least 1,000 residents that are required to provide drinking water with fluoride, or opt out by ballot vote.Most of Nebraska’s population is served by public water systems that either have enough naturally occurring fluoride or already add fluoride to water. There currently are 64 communities with more than 1,000 people that don’t add fluoride, or don’t have enough naturally occurring fluoride to meet standards.

That choice comes as a result of Nebraska lawmakers’ approval of Legislative Bill 245 in their last session.

The state is requiring communities to fluoridate drinking water by 2010 unless residents vote not to do it. Other communities, such as Norfolk, that do not fluoridate are expected to vote on it in 2009.

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