Trenton Council Introduces Legislation Ahead of November Data Center Vote
Trenton City Council introduced legislation offering tax incentives, limits on future city levies and a YMCA membership discount if voters reject Issue 17, a ballot measure that would ban new large-scale data centers in the city. The measures are linked to a proposed Amazon data center project and have drawn criticism that they could improperly influence the November vote.
Trenton voters will decide Issue 17 in November on whether to prohibit new large-scale data centers within the city. The measure could affect plans for an Amazon data center on land that the company had pursued before withdrawing its application amid the ballot campaign.
Ahead of the vote, Trenton City Council introduced five resolutions outlining potential consequences if the ban is rejected, including tax incentives, a one-year freeze on certain tax increases, limits on future levies for city services and emergency medical services through 2035, and a YMCA membership discount. Some residents characterized the legislation as an attempt to sway voters, while council representatives said it was intended to inform residents about the economic implications of the ballot issue. Ohio policy expert Ryan Perry of the Buckeye Institute said the unusual linkage between the election and the legislation could potentially lead to litigation.