City of Tomahawk Resumes Fluoride Conversations, No action

Fluoride addition in the City of Tomahawk will likely remain a discussion point for city leaders going forward.

The Tomahawk Board of Public Works met Tuesday for the first time since the results of an advisory referendum in April, and short discussion followed. City voters recommended the city resume fluoride being added to the city water supply. The vote was 579 in favor and 519 opposed.

Fluoridation of municipal water is common, and done to improve oral health and reduce cavities. Recently, it has become a politicized topic, though the elimination in Tomahawk last fall came from a different conversation entirely. The decision was made after discussions related to corrosion in the city’s chemical storage building.

A new storage location would likely be required, and a rough estimate provided at Tuesday’s meeting was between $550,000 and $800,000.

Alderman Ding Bartz raised the question of how the previous arrangements and building design were approved by the project engineer and the DNR. He suggested the city should get to the bottom of that issue, though acknowledged that will take some time.

No immediate action was taken at Tuesday’s meeting.

Original article online at: https://www.wjjq.com/storydetails/20250502092208/city_of_tomahawk_resumes_fluoride_conversations_no_action_