BETHEL – Residents voted Tuesday to authorize the Bethel Water District to continue adding fluoride to the town’s water supply.
The town has added fluoride since 1970.
Bethel business owner Sarah Lane, who is not a resident of the town, asked selectmen to call a town vote on whether to stop using fluoride. She said there is evidence fluoridation is linked to brain damage.
The Bethel Water District did not take a position on the issue. It costs $2,600 a year to add fluoride.
In other business, Town Clerk Christen Mason said residents approved all budget items at Wednesday evening’s town meeting.
“Some people tried to amend some of the articles to a lower number, but they ended up being voted down,” Mason said. “For the most part, everything went through pretty easy.”
Items approved included $60,904 toward the Local Contributions account, $551 more than the previous year. Contributions include $17,500 for the Bethel Library, $3,000 for winter decorations and $2,000 toward the MollyOckett Day celebration.
Residents also approved raising and appropriating $354,767 for employee benefits, an increase of $34,572.
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