In the wake of the 2024 General Election, Hillsboro voters decisively leaned towards keeping their water non-fluoridated. The advisory vote, which took place earlier this month, showed that 58% of voters were against the addition of fluoride to the water supply, according to official election results. The Hillsboro Utilities Commission duly adopted these results at their meeting on December 10. Thus, the city's water system will steadfastly remain free of added fluoride.
This vote was initially brought to the table after a pro-fluoridation group planned to quickly file a measure for the November 2024 ballot. The intended measure called for fluoridating Hillsboro's water to the EPA recommended level of 0.7 milligrams per liter, a standard endorsed by both the CDC and Oregon Health Authority to reduce tooth decay and promote oral health. However, following the Utilities Commission's suggestion, the City Council agreed to first give the community the power to officially advise on the matter.
Historically, Hillsboro's relationship with fluoridation has been tumultuous. A community vote in the 1950s resulted in a rejection of water fluoridation, overturning an earlier decision by the City Council. Despite sporadic discussions over the decades, no formal initiative reached the ballot until now. Past conversations in 2002 and 2012, instigated by pro-fluoridation groups, did not culminate in a measure. But this time, the City's Utilities Commission recommended and the City Council concurred to directly seek the community's advisory opinion.
The conversation surrounding water fluoridation in Hillsboro is steeped in decades of back-and-forth decisions — the original proposition to add fluoride was passed in the distant year of 1952, only to be overturned by voters in 1953. Although discussions about reintroducing fluoridation have periodically emerged, they had not successfully managed to return to the ballot until the 2024 vote. The recent advisory vote demonstrates a continuation of the 1953 sentiment, as the majority advises to again keep the city's water untreated by fluoride, as highlighted by the certified election results.
