Judge gives Independence residents more time to get signatures for data center vote

A Jackson County judge has extended the deadline for Independence residents to collect signatures for a proposed referendum challenging over $6 billion in tax breaks for a $150 billion data center project by Dutch AI company, Nebius. The company plans to establish its U.S. flagship, a 400-acre data center with its own power plant, in Independence. Organizers of "Stop the Data Center in Independence," including Rachel Gonzalez, Misty Vaughn, and Karma Magers, are attempting to force a public vote to reverse the tax incentives. Following the Independence City Council's 5-2 approval of the tax breaks, City Clerk Suzanne Holland declined to certify their initial petition, arguing the city charter does not allow for a referendum after a contract is implemented. In response, Gonzalez and her co-organizers filed a lawsuit against the city and Holland on March 9. The judge's March 18 order temporarily pauses the signature timeline, acknowledging the plaintiffs' "reasonable probability of success" on their claim. The city states the extension only affects the timeline, not the legal arguments. A hearing is scheduled for March 23 in the Jackson County courthouse. Residents have been actively gathering signatures, with over 800 collected towards a goal of 3,700 needed to trigger a public vote. Nebius has indicated that losing the tax breaks could lead them to withdraw from Independence.