Letters and feedback: June 26, 2021
Florida Today
Those who drink the water should have the vote
Commissioner Pritchett is to be commended on her decision to hear from residents of Mims after she stopped their community water fluoridation (CWF) program without public notice or comment.
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However, Commissioner Pritchett continues to spurn the transparency and fairness required by a functioning democracy in her attempts to recover from her mistake. Commissioner Pritchett proposes to hold a vote on CWF, making up her own rules on who gets to vote, how many votes are sufficient for a valid vote and what result is needed to reverse her decision. She says that all "customers" of the Mims water company will receive ballots with their July bill. But who are the customers of the Mims water company? If the commissioner is concerned about making healthcare decisions for the people of Mims, shouldn't the residents who drink the water get to vote, not the landlords who might pay the water bills out of the tenants' rent? Does the ballot provide one vote per water account, notwithstanding how many people reside in the home? Is there a difference between adult votes and children votes?