Two months after approving plans to add fluoride to the city’s drinking water, Leesburg city commissioners have reversed their decision.

During Monday night’s commission meeting, the board voted 4-1 to terminate the fluoride injection system project. Commissioner Jimmy Burry was the lone opposing vote.

City Manager Al Minner, who recommended halting the project, cited political and financial concerns as factors influencing the decision. He noted that while no official state or federal mandates currently prohibit fluoridation, recent legislative activity—such as Florida Senate Bill 700, which seeks to ban non-disinfectant additives in public drinking water—suggests that such restrictions could soon be in place.

Leesburg commissioners initially voted in January 2024 to allocate $80,590 for the design of a water fluoridation system. In May, they approved an additional $517,697 to implement the project. The decision to proceed was made after hearing testimony from local dentists and public health experts, as well as recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which supports community fluoridation to prevent cavities and reduce dental care costs.

Despite these endorsements, opposition from residents and shifting political dynamics prompted the commission to reconsider. Minner, in his report, stated that continuing the project was “impractical and outside our fiduciary responsibility,” given the likelihood of state or federal action against fluoridation.

With Monday night’s vote, the project has been officially terminated.