Daniella Levine Cava vetoes fluoride removal, citing guidance from dentists, medical experts

In a rare veto, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has reversed a plan to remove fluoride from the public tap water, setting up a likely clash with the majority of the County Commission that approved the change early this month.

Levine Cava announced her decision during a press conference alongside members of the Dade County Medical Association and Dr. Beatriz Terry, the immediate past President of the Florida Dental Association.

“As not only your Mayor, but also as a mother and grandmother, I care deeply about protecting the health, safety, and well-being of our community. I have listened to the dentists and medical experts and the message is clear: Water fluoridation is a safe, effective and efficient way to maintain dental health in our county — and halting it could have long-lasting health consequences, especially for our most vulnerable families,” she said.

“I welcome continued and balanced dialogue as we move forward to make the best decision on behalf of our county’s nearly three million residents. I urge the Board to sustain this veto, so that we can continue building a safe and healthy Miami-Dade.”

Miami-Dade Commissioners voted 8-2 on April 1 to discontinue a water fluoridation program the county has had since 1958. Supporters of the change proposed by Commissioner Rob Gonzalez, including Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, cited studies linking fluoride consumption to bone damage and lower IQ levels in early childhood development.

Opponents argued that the tiny concentration of fluoride in the water is far too low to hurt people and stressed its health benefits, particularly for poorer residents. A survey by the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute found 92% of dentists support water fluoridation.

After the vote last week — in which Commissioners Eileen Higgins and Raquel Regalado, a Democrat and Republican, respectively, voted “no” — Levine Cava confirmed she was considering a veto. She held a roundtable discussion with health professionals about the matter Monday.

Polling by GOP and Democratic consulting firms found that while an overwhelming share of Miami-Dade residents value the professional opinion of dentists and prefer public officials who take their advice, skepticism over the benefits of fluoride persist.

The County Commission would need nine votes to override the Mayor’s veto, one vote more than the number that approved Gonzalez’s measure. That may be too high a threshold, provided Higgins and Regalado maintain their stance.

Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera will soon leave the 13-member panel after being confirmed Wednesday as the U.S. Ambassador to Panama, meaning all three Commissioners absent from the April 1 vote — Marleine Bastien, Keon Hardemon and Micky Steinberg, all Democrats like Levine Cava — would have to vote for the override for it to succeed.