Local leaders question petition numbers from December data center meeting

Local leaders in St. Joseph County, Indiana, including County Surveyor Derek Deer, ecologist Steve Sass, and South Bend Councilman Oliver Davis, have expressed concerns regarding the accuracy of information presented at a December county council meeting. This meeting culminated in a vote to reject a proposed data center project near New Carlisle. According to these leaders, key data, specifically petition numbers, were misrepresented. Attorney Brandon Dickinson, representing the petitioner, had claimed 1,093 St. Joseph County residents signed in favor of the project. However, Deer's review of the petitions revealed discrepancies, stating the actual count was off by about 325 signatures. Furthermore, Deer alleged that signatures were collected from outside St. Joseph County, including nearly 150 from other states like Georgia and Oklahoma. Concerns were also raised about the absence of county commissioners and South Bend Mayor James Mueller, who had previously supported the project, during the final vote. Residents of New Carlisle are now questioning whether county council members had sufficient time to verify these signatures before making their decision.