Should the city of Williamsburg keep adding fluoride to its drinking water?
It is an issue that the Williamsburg City Council discussed briefly during its regular monthly meeting Monday.
In response to a question from Councilman Richard Foley, Mayor Roddy Harrison said that the city adds fluoride to its water.
As the debate about the issue heats up nationwide, Harrison said the jury is still out for him in regards whether to keep adding it to water although the workers at the city’s water treatment plant would love to discontinue it.
Councilwoman Chelsea Tyree asked if there was any way to let people vote on the issue, but Harrison said that is not likely to happen and it is something that might ultimately come down to the city council at some point in the future.
Harrison said that it is doubtful there will be a statewide mandate about the issue.
“It is an issue that is going to creep up on us,” he added.
City officials said that they have not consulted any dentists about the issue yet.
The council also discussed the issue of food insecurity in the community. Councilwoman Laurel Jefferies West said that she was recently contacted by a woman that does a blessing box in Jellico about possibly placing one in Williamsburg too.
West noted one church used to do one in town but discontinued it because some people started hoarding the food.
This led to a discussion about meals at the Williamsburg Senior Citizens Center, which has reduced meals from five times per week to three times per week due to federal funding cuts. Harrison said that the state legislature is expected to take that issue up and possibly restore funding for such meal programs.
