South Bend mayor bans NDAs for data center projects, council members push for transparency
South Bend Mayor James Mueller signed an executive order banning city officials from signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for data center projects. This move aligns with a previously proposed ordinance by Common Council members to increase transparency. The action follows the revelation that city officials, including Public Works team members, signed NDAs with Amazon Web Services in 2023.
South Bend Mayor James Mueller has issued an executive order prohibiting city officials from signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) related to data center projects. This decision, announced today, aims to enhance government transparency, particularly concerning development projects such as data centers.
The mayor's action comes after two Common Council members, Shiri Bolden-Simpson and Oliver Davis, proposed an ordinance to ban all city officials from signing NDAs. Councilman Davis stated that the mayor's executive order is a step towards the transparency he and others have been advocating for, emphasizing that public officials serve the people and should operate openly with public funds.
It was revealed that city officials, including Eric Horvath and other members of the Public Works team, signed NDAs with Amazon Web Services in 2023. Mayor Mueller claimed he was unaware of these specific NDAs at the time, although they may have crossed his desk. He stated these were the only active NDAs signed by city officials. Although the Amazon data center is located outside city limits, South Bend provides wastewater services to the facility.