There is a Trenton data center annexation hearing this week. What’s expected?

Butler County commissioners are set to deliberate on a petition to annex 601 acres of land near Trenton for a massive Amazon data center. The public hearing, scheduled for September 15, follows formal opposition from Madison and St. Clair townships, who collectively stand to lose 601 acres to the annexation.

The townships have filed identical resolutions objecting to the annexation, citing legal issues such as contiguity, the creation of a "divided highway," and an error in the legal description, though the error in the legal description has reportedly been corrected. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Gerrity emphasized the commissioners' limited authority, stating they are largely constrained to approve or deny based on a few specific enumerated issues rather than public sentiment or broader concerns.

Despite the legal framework, Madison Twp. Trustee Jeff Willoughby and St. Clair Twp. Trustee Dustin Gadd, along with their attorney, are expected to speak at the hearing, presenting their case. They also harbor significant concerns about the proposed Amazon data center's impact, including noise, visibility, and stormwater runoff, and had been working on an annexation agreement with Trenton that included protections for residents.

The city of Trenton and Amazon Web Services had offered each township $5 million cash and roughly 7% of property taxes to allow the annexation to proceed. However, the townships, which are in the process of creating their own tax increment financing districts, expressed dissatisfaction with the offer, with Gadd indicating a 70/30 split would be more acceptable. The commissioners must render a decision within 30 days of the hearing, with no right to appeal if the annexation is granted, but property owners can appeal if it's denied.