South Fulton Mayor Backs Data Centers After Moratorium Ends
South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs is supporting data center development after the city’s roughly nine-month moratorium expired. The city adopted new zoning, permitting and noise rules, while Fulton County commissioners opposed local tax abatements and financial incentives because of concerns about data centers’ power and water consumption.
South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs said data centers are an economic necessity for cities, shortly after the city’s moratorium on new facilities expired on September 9. She cited Loudoun County, Virginia, as a model for using data center tax revenue to support public finances and said the pause gave South Fulton time to establish a more business-friendly regulatory framework.
The South Fulton City Council adopted Ordinance ORD2026-024, replacing the moratorium-era rules with zoning, permitting and noise-performance requirements. New facilities will require special-use permits and council approval, although enforcement of the new standards remains unresolved.
Fulton County commissioners have taken a different position, approving a resolution opposing local tax abatements and other incentives for data centers. Commissioners cited concerns about heavy electricity and water use, while opposition to large facilities continues across the Atlanta region. State-level efforts to restrict data center incentives and development also failed during the 2026 legislative session.