MONROE — Another vote on the divisive fluoride-in-the-water issue narrowly went the way of maintaining the status quo during the March 17 meeting of the City of Monroe Common Council. 

As a result, fluoride — a much as 1,700 gallons per year at .7 ppm or less — will stay in the water in Monroe, to the delight of dentists but to the dismay of a passionate group pushing for its removal — who in the end fell one vote short.

It mirrors a similar push against fluoride nationwide, and the country’s new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr., is a notable anti-fluoride voice.

But a narrow vote to get rid of the fluoride, and then a follow up amendment vote to set the level at zero both failed. Mayor Donna Douglas vetoed the whole removal idea after the March 3 council meeting.

“The decision is crucial that the city maintains the public measure,” said the mayor in a statement released after that a lengthy public hearing.

According to City Administrator Brittney Rindy, the first vote on fluoride was to approve the amendment to the original motion to vote on an ordinance that would reflect fluoridating the water at zero concentration,” she wrote via email on Thursday. “The amended motion was approved, then the vote to approve an ordinance with zero level concentration of Fluoride was approved with a 4-3 vote.”

The zero-level amendment was proposed by Ald. Andrew Kranig.

He also spoke passionately on the issue prior to the March 17 vote to override the mayor’s veto of a zero-fluoride policy, which required a super majority of six to maintain. 

And last Monday again he alluded to a larger, more existential issue that involves violating the 9th amendment to the constitution. That amendment is generally defined as saying that all the rights not listed in the U.S. Constitution belong to the people, not the government. Thus, the rights of the people are unlimited.

“I will be voting to override the mayor’s veto because I swore an oath to the constitution,” he said. “People need choices but I’m not going to violate their individual choice.” 

Ald. Tom Miller, who has now twice voted against efforts to discontinue fluoride in municipal water supplies, said the city council lately has been a broken record around efforts that are not necessarily a top priority for constituents. He said he wanted to remain on the side of science and the local dentists, several of whom came to the meetings to warn against fluoride removal.

“That’s what City Council is doing, we sit here and skip constantly,” he said. 

For his part, Ald. Richard Thoman said there just is not enough data to assume that fluoride added to protect dental health is not toxic other parts of body.

“I don’t know why the burden of proof is on us to show that it’s not safe,” he said. 

Currently, the city is fluoridating at about the .7 parts per million standard it shares with the State of Wisconsin, officials said.

Ald. Mary Jane Grenzow, a fluoride supporter, cited the lengthy debate on the issue and thanked Mayor Donna Douglas for her leadership.

“It’s been long, it’s been grueling and I don’t think anyone’s minds will be changed this evening,” she said, just prior to last Monday’s contentious vote.