Warrenton to put water fluoridation on May ballot

Published 9:46 am Friday, January 30, 2026

By JAY CORELLA

The Astorian

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, with a four to one vote, Warrenton City Commissioners approved a ballot measure to put water fluoridation to a general ballot vote on May 13.

Warrenton currently puts fluoride in its drinking water, however they are not required to, per state law.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, only 26 percent of Oregon’s water is fluoridated.

The Astorian reported that commissioners had discussed the fluoridation measure during an April meeting.

One of the reasons to remove fluoride from the water was cost, they said. Warrenton Public Works Director Kevin Gorman estimated that removing fluoride from the water would save the city around $23,000 annually.

The decision will affect more than just the city of Warrenton; Gearhart receives a portion of its water from Warrenton during summertime and approximately 100 homes in the county also receive water from the city.

After the measure was approved, the dissenting vote was from Commissioner Jess Sollaccio. Sollaccio, who has a masters degree in public health. She did not want the city to discontinue fluoridating its water and worried that putting it to a vote might put that in peril. 

“I just have a lot of reservations about what this will do from a public health standpoint,” she said. “We’re already in a health care desert; kids don’t have access to dentists.”

“It’s our responsibility … to use evidence-based policies,” Sollaccio said, “to ensure our community is able to thrive.”