Lingering anger in Independence over data center drives voter turnout, council turnover
Voter turnout in Independence, Missouri, significantly increased, leading to city council turnover, largely due to public anger over the Independence City Council's approval of a Nevi US data center project. Concurrently, a Jackson County Legislator has proposed a 120-day moratorium on data center land use applications to allow time for new regulations to be developed.
The recent mayoral election in Independence, Missouri, saw an unprecedented voter turnout, driven by widespread public anger regarding the city council's decision last month to approve Chapter 100 bonds for a Hyperscale AI data center developed by Nevi US in the Little Blue Valley. Opponents of the project had previously vowed to take action at the polls following the council's approval.
Despite a judge ruling against the opposition group's attempt to force a citywide vote, the grassroots movement, "Stop the AI Data Center," declared success. All of the candidates backed by the group, including city council candidates Cody Atkinson and Jackie, won their respective races, which was seen as a clear referendum on the data center project. A similar scenario unfolded in Festus, Missouri, where voters also ousted council members who had approved a data center project.
In response to growing concerns, Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith introduced a proposal for a 120-day moratorium on data center land use applications in unincorporated areas of Jackson County. This pause would allow lawmakers time to develop comprehensive rules and regulations for future data center projects. Smith expects the ordinance to be discussed in committee within weeks, noting that no data center applications are currently pending in those areas.