Spring break left Monday’s County Commission meeting sparsely attended, but the 19 Commissioners present continued business as usual, discussing and voting on a resolution in support of proposed state legislation to remove fluoride from water systems, as well as resolution to accept a $2 million grant for the Parks and Recreation Department.
Commissioner Gregg Lawrence proposed Resolution 3-25-14 in support of House Bill 897 and Senate Bill 1411, saying the bill would give Tennesseans a choice to consume or not consume fluoride. After a lengthy discussion, his resolution failed in a vote of seven for, five against, with seven commissioners abstaining.
“Essentially this bill will eliminate the fluoridation of water in the state of Tennessee as of July 31, 2025,” Lawrence said in his introduction of the resolution. “This bill is really not about whether you agree with fluoride, whether it’s good for you or bad for you; this bill is about whether you believe people should have a choice.”
Following a discussion about fluoridated water at a Public Health Committee meeting on Thursday, the county’s Health Department Director and State Dental Director attended Monday’s meeting and spoke before the vote.
“We just wanted to share with you the benefits of fluoride in water,” said Dr. Crystal Manners, the State Dental Director. “Because it is systemwide, everyone benefits regardless of income. Adjusting fluoride to levels optimal for oral health can be equated to supplementing salt with iodine.”
Lawrence and Commissioners Bill Petty, Lisa Hayes and Barb Sturgeon argued that removing fluoride from water systems would allow citizens to choose to use fluoride through toothpaste and dental procedures without forcing everyone on a water system to consume it.
“There’s a number of issues in my mind, but informed consent is a big one,” Petty said. “We hear a lot of good things about fluoridated water, and I’m not saying [it] doesn’t have benefits, but it also has problems.”
However, other commissioners argued that the proposed state legislation would actually limit citizens’ ability to choose, and that the issue doesn’t lie within the purview of the County Commission.
“The state of Tennessee does not require fluoride to be placed in the water currently. It is each municipality’s choice, each private utility’s choice – 88% of them choose to put it in,” said Commissioner Chas Morton. “That is the choice – removal feels like not a choice any longer.”
Commissioner Jennifer Mason said voting on this issue, which she sees as out of the commission’s jurisdiction, could lead to more issues down the road.
“I don’t feel like it’s my job as an elected official for the funding body of this county to weigh in on a statewide issue eliminating fluoride across the state,” Mason said. “It’s a slippery slope – what’s going to be the next issue that comes up that we stick our nose in that doesn’t relate to why we were elected?”
Ultimately Commissioners Lawrence, Sturgeon, Hayes, Petty, Mary Smith, David O’Neil and Chris Richards voted in favor of the resolution, while Commissioners Judy Herbert, Paul Webb, Meghan Guffee, Sean Aiello and Steve Smith voted against it. Commissioners Mason, Morton, Ricky Jones, Brian Clifford, Greg Sanford, Tom Tunnicliffe and Matt Williams all abstained from the vote.
Another resolution to accept a grant for nearly $2.2 million for the county’s Parks and Recreation Department sparked debate because of the county’s required matching contribution. Commissioner Webb explained that to get the grant, the county has to provide about $1 million in matching as well as a land match that it already owns.
The grant is planned to go toward relocating the Triune Riding Club’s riding ring to Castle Park and improvements at Osburn Park on the east side of the county. Moving the riding ring, as Parks Director Gordon Hampton explained, would fulfill an obligation to the club to maintain it and allow the county to build a needed EMS station on the property.
“The property that the county owns in Triune/Arrington on Horton Highway was a donation from the Triune Riding Club. We have an obligation to that Riding Club, when we accepted that valuable piece of property, to support them,” Hamton said. “That’s a fast-growing part of the county – there’s a need for an emergency station there. We know that we have to move the riding ring [to Castle Park] so that we can maintain that riding ring. We’re using this grant money and this county match to bring services online on the east side of the county where we are lacking in quite a few recreational activities.”
The resolution passed 15 to 3 with Hayes, Richards and Aiello voting no, and Clifford abstaining, but not before those in opposition raised their concerns about the county’s fiscal priorities.
“I’m all for trying to promote our county, but that is a lot of money in light of that fact that we have a JJJ project we have to pay for,” Hayes said. “My concern is voting yes on this, we’re voting for a tax increase.”
In response to questions about the Parks Department’s contributions to the county’s revenue, Hampton said his department is already on track to bring in about $12 million in revenue this fiscal year and that the Renaissance Festival at Castle Park annually generates close to $1 million in profit.
“We have an opportunity to provide $1 million for $2 million – it’s a great opportunity,” said Mason. “Even just tonight, [Parks and Rec] have donations of over half a million dollars [on the appropriations agenda]. I know $1 million is a big number, but I think for what we’re getting and what they bring to this county, my vote is yes.”
Finally, the commission also voted to adopt the Arrington Special Area plan which was completed just a few weeks ago. The commission was unanimously in favor after hearing Planning Director Mike Matteson speak on the process; only Sanford abstained from the vote because he owns property in the area.
Find the full agenda and livestream of the meeting at https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/28/County-Commission.
Original article online at: https://www.williamsonherald.com/news/local_news/williamson-county-commission-debates-state-bill-on-fluoridated-water-parks-funding/article_4d410144-0021-11f0-9469-17fc1d4e9c0a.html