Mount Airy Mayor Jon Cawley Discusses Data Center Concerns in Candidate Profile
Mount Airy mayoral candidate Jon Cawley discussed potential data center development in the city, saying officials should establish boundaries and restrictions when necessary. He also noted Mount Airy’s substantial water resources and the role of the city’s planning board and commissioners in addressing the issue.
Mount Airy Mayor Jon Cawley, who is seeking a second term, said data centers are a concern because of uncertainty surrounding their potential impacts, particularly as multiple facilities are considered in a city with significant water resources. He said data centers are not inherently intended to cause harm, but local government should establish appropriate boundaries and restrictions for legal businesses when needed.
Cawley said the Mount Airy Planning Board and Board of Commissioners are working on the public’s behalf. He pointed to the city’s second water plant, originally built to support the textile industry, as infrastructure that could continue to provide benefits for future economic development.