Submitted By: Rusella Bowes-Johnson
Presentation By: Sean Lanier
end
Department: Water & Sewer
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
title
Introduce Ordinance 2025-25 Repeal of Ordinance Sec. 70-371. Fluoridation
end
OCALA'S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Quality of Place.
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
body
BACKGROUND:
The public health initiative to combat tooth decay and promote oral health by fluoridation of municipal drinking water dates to the 1940s.
Since 1961, the Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, has required that fluoride be added to our municipal drinking water. Codified at Section 70-371, this provision was last amended by Ordinance 2019-44 in June of 2019.
At all times since 1961, the City of Ocala has complied with this code requirement and has added fluoride to our municipal drinking water.
On or about May 14, 2025, Florida Legislature passed and transmitted to the Governor Senate Bill 700, often referred to as the "Florida Farm Bill," which, among other things, amended Section 403.859, Florida Statutes, to prohibit the use of any additive in any public water system which does not meet the definition of a "water quality additive" as defined by Section 403.852(19), Florida Statutes, as amended by Senate Bill 700. Senate Bill 700 also provided a new definition of "water quality additive" which does not include fluoride, thereby effectively prohibiting its addition to public water systems; and
On or about May 15, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed said Senate Bill 700 into law and the legislation has now been codified as Chapter 2025-22, Laws of Florida.
The effective date of the new law is July 1, 2025 and, in order to bring the Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, Section 70-371 must be amended.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
Chapter 2025-22, Laws of Florida (Senate Bill 700) provides in pertinent part:
* Section 31. Subsection (19) is added to section 403.852, Florida Statutes, to read:
403.852 Definitions; ss. 4...
Click here for full text