The city council of Portland, OR, is expected to vote to end the city's run as one of the largest municipalities without fluoridated water, according to an article in the Oregonian.
The vote to fluoridate a water supply serving some 900,000 residents in Portland, Gresham, Tigard, and Tualatin will be the subject of a public hearing on September 6 and a vote on September 12. If passed, the ordinance would go into effect 30 days after the vote.
Mayor Sam Adams and Commissioners Randy Leonard and Nick Fish have voiced their support. Leonard acknowledged opposition to the plan he proposed, and he has received roughly 1,300 emails on the topic, most of which are against fluoridation. An electronic petition demanding a "no" vote also has surfaced, the article noted.
Portlanders have previously voted down fluoridation efforts three times, it added. Opponents may attempt a referendum, which would require 19,868 signatures from voters in the city gathered within 30 days of the council's decision. Alternatively, opponents could attempt an initiative that would require 10,000 more votes with two years to gather them.
A fluoridation facility would cost $5 million and could be built in three to five years, the article noted.
