It’s unlikely that a referendum to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water will be placed on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The Fond du Lac City Council Committee of the Whole met Tuesday night to reconsider placing a fluoride referendum on the November ballot.

Marty Ryan, City Council president, said unless two of the five council members who voted against the issue in April notify the president by Thursday that they have reconsidered their stance, a referendum could not be reconsidered at the council’s Sept. 12 meeting. In addition, the issue cannot be addressed again until next year.

Citizens who packed into the meeting room were not allowed to speak at the meeting. Only council members, the city attorney and representatives from both sides of the issue were allowed to speak.

“Let the voters decide,” Bill Turner, representative from the SAFE Water Coalition said. “They should have the final say.”

Backers of a referendum to remove fluoride from the water supply said they had enough signatures to have the question placed on the ballot for a referendum.

Rick Matthews, leader of the Fond du Lac SAFE Water Coalition, presented over 2,000 signatures to the city clerk in July.

In April, the council voted five-to-two in favor of rejecting a proposal to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water.

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