Box Elder County rejects data center proposal, drawing petitioner reaction
Box Elder County officials rejected two referendums aimed at overturning the approval of the Strata data center project, prompting opponents to announce plans for lawsuits. This decision follows public outcry that led the state auditor to open an investigation into the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA).
Opponents of the Strata data center project in Box Elder County, Utah, will not be able to take their fight to the ballot box. The county attorney rejected two referendums that sought to overturn the county commissioner's decision to approve the project, citing that the commission's move was administrative and not subject to a referendum.
Brenna Williams, one of the petitioners, expressed frustration, stating, "This whole thing has been about games and I'm not surprised." She believes that allowing transparency and putting the issue on the ballot would have been a better course of action, as the public is now "very upset and extremely energized." This public outcry also prompted the Utah State Auditor's Office to create a dedicated website, TransparentUtah.gov, providing extensive public records on the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), which has a role in the project. The auditor noted the overwhelming number of calls received from the public regarding MIDA's operations and authority.
The group behind the referendum plans to file lawsuits to appeal the county attorney's decision either today or Monday, with hints of further legal action to come.