Recall petitions filed against Festus mayor and three council members over data center votes

Data center opponents in Festus, Missouri, have filed recall petitions against Mayor Sam Richards and three city council members—David Boyer, Kevin Dennis, and Michael Cook—following their votes in favor of a proposed hyperscale data center. This move is the latest in a series of actions taken by residents who claim the officials advanced major municipal decisions without adequate public participation or consideration of resident concerns. Chuck Hatfield, legal counsel for the targeted officials, argues that the petitions lack sufficient reasoning for a recall, stating that disagreement with decisions is not grounds for removal in the middle of a term.

The recall effort is spearheaded by Festus resident Erica Carter, who stated that a 200-word limit constrained the petitioners' ability to detail their grievances. Carter emphasized that residents desire responsible growth for their town, not anti-growth sentiments. This political backlash follows a lawsuit filed last month by the opposition group Wake Up Jeffco against the City of Festus and developer CRG, alleging that city officials withheld public information related to the project.

The contentious data center project has already led to significant political upheaval, with voters recently ousting all four city council incumbents in favor of candidates aligned with anti-data center sentiment. The Jefferson County Clerk, Jeannie Goff, has confirmed that volunteers collected "well above" the necessary number of signatures for the recall petitions. Her office is now tasked with verifying these signatures against voter registrations within a 10-day deadline, which extends through the upcoming holiday weekend. If the petitions are not certified, circulators have an additional 10 days to appeal.