Festus voters oust four incumbents over data center dispute
Four incumbent Festus City Council members were voted out of office following voter opposition to a recently approved data center. While Mayor Sam Richards states the signed contract with developer CRG makes the project unstoppable, new council members believe the agreement can be suspended.
In Festus, Missouri, four incumbent city council members were ousted in a municipal election, a direct consequence of widespread community anger over the recent approval of a data center project. The high voter turnout, more than double that of the previous year, reflected the strong community movement led by residents like Erica Carter, who had vocally opposed the data center.
The Festus City Council had voted 6 to 2 in favor of an agreement with developer CRG to build the data center, leading to accusations that council members were not listening to their constituents. Rick Belleville and Dan Moore, two of the new council members who campaigned on stopping the data center, believe their victory signifies that the voters' voices were heard.
However, Mayor Sam Richards has stated that the contract with CRG was signed days before the election, rendering it too late for the new council to halt the project. The new council members, disagreeing with the mayor, claim attorneys have advised them that the agreement can be suspended, with any monies given to the city to be returned to the developer. Festus residents opposing the data center are continuing their efforts, now collecting signatures to force a recall vote for Mayor Richards and the remaining four council members who were not up for re-election.