Yukon officials face recall petition over data center policies

On Tuesday, Joe Horn initiated a recall petition against Yukon Mayor Brian Pillmore and Vice Mayor Jeff Wootton, demanding their resignations amidst long-standing public discontent over the city's data center policies. Horn's action, a culmination of months of resident outrage regarding data center approvals, was taken during a regular city council meeting after both officials declined to resign. Mayor Pillmore and Vice Mayor Wootton, in separate statements, acknowledged citizens' right to petition for recall and affirmed their commitment to responsible leadership and city improvements, citing accomplishments such as new playgrounds and fiscal audits. The recall effort is primarily driven by citizen concerns surrounding a proposed data center by Belt Line Energy (BLE). Residents fear rising electricity rates and a questionable water supply due to the project. Although BLE has privately assured residents that new legislation would prevent data center power infrastructure costs from burdening ratepayers and pledged to use treated wastewater, these agreements are not yet finalized. The city council has already advanced the project by contracting to sell land and adopting a data center zoning ordinance, which are prerequisites for BLE to submit a formal construction application. The Canadian County Election Board is currently calculating the necessary signature count for the petition to proceed.