Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 8:22 a.m.
During Monday night’s legislative session, the Spokane City Council voted 6-1 to approve the grant agreement under which the City will receive $4 million from the ARCORA Foundation for expenses related to the design, permitting, and construction of a community water fluoridation component of our water system. The terms of the proposed grant allow the City to either continue or end the fluoridation process at any time, subject to repaying any grant funds used in the process on a pro-rata basis.
“The Council listened to its constituents and chose a middle path that moves us closer to the health benefits of fluoride with the financial flexibility to pay for it,” said City Council President Breean Beggs. “Most importantly, the next generation of Spokane’s children will largely be able to avoid the ravages of tooth decay.”
The current contract includes nearly all the language changes suggested by the City’s legal department. The contract will now allow the City to have four years to make a final decision on community water fluoridation and in the meantime will progress towards a healthier and more prosperous city.
