Box Elder’s commissioners felt their hands were tied on the data center vote

Box Elder County Commissioners faced a boisterous crowd and public backlash after voting to approve the Stratos Project, a massive hyperscale data center development. Despite widespread opposition, Commissioner Lee Perry, along with colleagues Boyd Bingham and Tyler Vincent, sanctioned the project, stating their decision was a necessary measure to grant Box Elder County a 'seat at the table' in the development process. According to Perry, the project, backed by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary and supported by Utah Governor Spencer Cox's 'Built Here' agenda, would have proceeded regardless of the county commission's vote. The land earmarked for the Stratos Project is unzoned, meaning that without the county's involvement via the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), the developer could have built the facility with minimal local oversight, bypassing environmental and water quality considerations. The commissioners' vote was intended to negotiate benefits for the county, such as funding for fire trucks and EMS, and a higher tax rate on the business. Following the commission's approval, opposition efforts intensified. Protesters previously caused a water rights application for the project to be withdrawn, though the applicant intends to reapply. Currently, a group of voters is mobilizing to launch a referendum to overturn the county's decision, an effort that has not yet been finalized by the Box Elder County Clerk’s Office. Perry emphasized that a successful referendum would essentially revert the situation to one where the county has no guardrails or control over the data center's construction, as the project would still move forward under state law.