In 1945, Grand Rapids was the first city in the U.S. to add fluoride to its water.
But a candidate for mayor doesn't see that as a bragging point today.
John George says "more than a thousand" studies show risks from fluoridated water, including links to higher levels of ADHD, hypothyroidism, and lower IQs in kids.
"It's not 1945, it's 2015," says George. "Science doesn't stand still. Can we look at this in maybe a little different little light and act accordingly? Fluoridation in the water is a thing whose time has come and gone."
Getting fluoride out of Grand Rapids' water is George's main campaign issue. But he also opposes bringing in outside experts to help neighborhoods develop cohesion and brand themselves, believing that defining a neighborhood should happen "from the grass roots."
The Centers for Disease Control cites fluoridation of municipal water supplies one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.
George is also, according to his website, concerned about a UN document that urges nations to make sustainability a priority at the local level.