Voters in Independence, Missouri, voted on Tuesday to oust two city councilmembers after they backed an AI data center in the community.
Independence councilmembers Bridget McCandless, who was running for mayor, and Jared Fears both voted in favor of giving $6 billion in tax breaks to Nebius to build a large data center in the city and were defeated by anti-data center and pro-accountability opponents, Missouri-based KCUR reported. Voters in another Missouri town also voted to oust members who backed data centers in their town on the same day that voters in Independence took to the polls.
McCandless lost her race to Mayor-elect Kevin King, who supported putting the tax breaks for Nebius on the ballot and he promised more transparency on the issue going forward, according to KCUR. Fears’ and McCandless’ seats were filled by anti-data center candidate Jackie Dorman and pro-accountability candidate Cody Atkinson, who received 27% and 31% of the vote, respectively.
“People in Independence wanted a different kind of leadership, and the data center controversy became a symbol of a much larger frustration about transparency, accountability and whether residents were truly being heard,” said Misty Vaugn, a leader of the Stop the AI Data Center in Independence Facebook group. The group has amassed over 117,000 members, according to information on its Facebook page.
In March, the city council defied public outcry and voted to give more than $6 billion in tax incentives to Nebius, which promised to build the data center and described it as an “AI-factory” on the eastern side of the city, according to KCUR.
Independence was joined by fellow Missouri residents in the town of Festus the same day, who voted to oust half of its city council members who backed an AI data center in their town.
Residents opposed to the AI data center flooded a Festus gymnasium to voice their frustrations during a March 31 city council meeting where the council voted to approve a framework of requirements for CRG’s planned construction, St. Louis Public Radio reported.
“This data center fight has struck this community to the core and really, honestly ignited a community-driven effort here,” Dan Moore, who defeated pro-data center incumbent Bobby Benz, told St. Louis Public Radio. “People are awake now, and we’re not going to let this continue on anymore.”
Voters in Port Washington, Wisconsin, also went to the polls on Tuesday to air their frustrations against an AI data center in their community. Voters, by a near two-to-one margin, approved the first-in-the-nation ballot initiative opposing a planned $15 billion OpenAI-Vantage data center campus.
Local city council members often are attracted to data center projects lured by the promise of higher local tax revenues and jobs. Supporters of AI counter that data center development is crucial to the future of the economy and necessary to combat rivals such as China, while opponents are concerned the projects will force people to lose their homes through eminent domain and will cause their electric bills to skyrocket.
Local communities across America, including in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida, have also protested data center expansions.
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