Ohio County Official Calls for More Local Control Over Data Center Projects and Incentives
A Washington County official testified before Ohio lawmakers, advocating for increased local government authority over major data center projects and state tax incentives. He recommended requiring county approval for state sales tax exemptions and financial bonds from developers to ensure project completion.
Washington County Commission President Charlie Schilling testified before Ohio's Select Committee on Data Centers, urging state lawmakers to grant local governments more authority over major data center projects and associated tax incentives. Schilling highlighted that counties bear the infrastructure costs of these facilities and therefore deserve a significant voice in decisions regarding state tax incentives, which can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Schilling proposed two key changes: requiring county commissioner approval before any state sales tax exemption takes effect for a qualifying data center, and mandating that developers receiving public subsidies post financial bonds to guarantee project completion. While supporting Ohio's competitiveness for data center investment, Schilling emphasized that local communities, not just the state, should have leverage in these negotiations, as they bear the greatest responsibility for infrastructure impacts created by these projects. Washington County has been in discussions with a hyper-scale data center developer since January.