New Richmond puts fluoridization issue to referendum

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (WSCM) – The City of New Richmond is deferring a decision on whether to continue adding fluoride to its water supply until the spring.

In the 2026 Spring Election, New Richmond voters will decide whether to continue fluoridization or to remove fluoride from the water.

“What am I voting for?” Jim Zajkowski, New Richmond Mayor, asked during the Dec. 8 City Council Meeting. “Probably, it’s going to be pretty basic: Do you want to keep fluoride in the drinking water?”

New Richmond is one of several communities in west-central Wisconsin that adds fluoride to drinking water. Others include Hudson, River Falls, Menomonie, Osceola, Glenwood City, Durand, and Ellsworth. Some of the western Wisconsin communities that do not include Amery, St. Croix Falls, Baldwin, Hammond, Roberts, Boyceville, Clayton, Somerset, and Star Prairie.

According to a memo issued by the City of New Richmond, fluoridization costs about $15,000 to $20,000 per year. The same memo includes information about dental health benefits as published by the American Dental Association and other health organizations, including the CDC.

A public information meeting on Dec. 2 was attended by nearly three dozen citizens, mostly in support of keeping fluoride in the water.

Memos from the City acknowledge that there’s a public debate on whether the benefits of fluoride in drinking water outweigh potential risks, noting that Florida and Utah have banned fluoridization. Polling earlier this year showed support for fluoride in drinking water.

“There are some people on both sides of the issue, and if we voted tonight one way, they’ll say, ‘We didn’t have a voice,'” Zajkowski said. “This way, everyone has a voice.”

Zajkowski said after the City Council’s 4-1 vote to put the issue to public referendum that this way, everyone can have input on what the City should do on an increasingly contentious issue.

“It’s difficult in New Richmond because we lost our radio station and we lost our newspaper; that was our voice, that was our identity,” Zajkowski said. “Now there’s four months to get the word out; it’s not a rush to get something done.”

The lone vote against the referendum was Alderman Craig Kittel, who said that he thought they had enough information to make a decision as a City Council.

“I think that we’ve had years and years of science that proves fluoride is a good thing, and I think it’s important that it’s in the water in New Richmond,” Kittel said.

The 2026 Spring Election will be held on April 7. Referendum language will be decided on at a future meeting before being submitted for the ballot.

More information on running for local office, Spring Election and Spring Primary deadlines, and referendums can be found on Civic Media’s website.

You can learn more about your voter registration status, where to vote, who will be on your ballot, and more on the MyVote Wisconsin website.

To learn more about how to access the ballot or how to run for local office, you can visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website.

For a calendar of important election-related dates in Wisconsin, you can also visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website.

---

READ MORE: Spring Election dates and deadlines: Paperwork circulation underway in Wisconsin