Reno mayoral candidates' stances on data centers highlighted in campaign ads
During the Reno mayoral race, a political attack ad targets City Councilmember Kathleen Taylor for her votes on data centers. Taylor reportedly voted to approve specific data center projects and voted against a moratorium and a text amendment for further regulations. The city's regulatory authority regarding data center water and electrical service is also discussed.
The Reno mayoral race between former Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall and City Councilmember Kathleen Taylor has escalated with a new attack ad from Marshall's campaign targeting Taylor's record on data centers.
The ad claims Taylor voted to allow multiple data centers in Reno and against regulating them. KTVN's 'Reality Check' investigation into these claims found that Taylor indeed voted to uphold the approval of the Webb Data Center and to reverse the Planning Commission's denial of the Oppidan data center project, thereby approving it. Regarding regulations, Taylor voted against initiating a text amendment in February 2025 that aimed to impose further restrictions on data centers; this vote resulted in a 3-3 tie, causing the amendment to fail. The City of Reno clarified that it does not regulate water or electrical service for projects like data centers through its conditional use permit process.
However, in April of the same year, the council revisited the issue and voted to initiate a text amendment, though its final status is not detailed. The report also notes that Taylor was the sole dissenting vote on two occasions when the council voted on a data center moratorium, indicating she opposed such a pause. Taylor stated, "I voted for more regulations and against a moratorium; those things aren't the same."
The ad also attacked Taylor's spending, blaming her for a $24 million budget shortfall, but the report clarified that one council member lacks the power to cause such a shortfall alone, with city officials attributing it to broader revenue and cost challenges.