Clarksville voters to weigh in on bonds for data center
Clarksville voters will participate in a special election on December 8th to decide on two bond ordinances worth up to $55 billion for a data center project already under construction. Opponents, who successfully petitioned for the vote, seek to give residents a voice in the project's funding, while city leaders and the mayor emphasize that taxpayers are not at risk. Mayor David Reer warned that rejecting the bonds could cause the data center developer to leave.
Clarksville, Arkansas, is preparing for a special election on December 8th, where voters will decide on two bond ordinances crucial for a multi-billion dollar data center project already under construction. The bond package includes up to $5 billion for land and buildings, and up to $50 billion for internal equipment. City leaders, including Mayor David Reer, have repeatedly assured the public that taxpayers will not be liable for these bonds, stating there is "no risk" involved.
However, local residents opposed to the project's funding mechanism, led by Deborah Hobbes, successfully collected over 350 validated signatures, surpassing the required 291, to force a public vote. Hobbes stated their primary motivation is to give residents a voice in how the significant project is funded, despite an earlier petition attempt missing the deadline for the November elections.
While some community members expressed belief that such financial decisions should be left to the elected city council, Mayor Reer warned that a rejection of the bonds by voters could have severe consequences. He indicated that without the bonds, the data center would not receive necessary tax abatements, potentially leading the developer, Server Farm, to abandon its Clarksville campus. Server Farm has confirmed that work on the campus is continuing and pledged to respect the voters' decision in December.