Fort Meade officials face recall over data center project approval
A grassroots committee in Fort Meade, Florida, has filed formal recall petitions against the mayor and two city commissioners. This action stems from community backlash over the officials' approval of a large artificial intelligence data center project. The committee alleges malfeasance and mismanagement regarding the project.
A grassroots committee, the Fort Meade Recall Committee, supported by the Watchdogs of Fort Meade, has initiated formal recall petitions against Fort Meade Mayor Jared Williams and Commissioners Petrina McCutchen and Matthew Taylor. The petitions were submitted to the city clerk following significant community opposition to the city leaders' approval of the Stonebridge hyperscale AI data center project.
Organizers, including committee chair Michael Bennett, claim malfeasance, mismanagement of funds, and conflicts of interest in relation to the data center's approval. The project is currently undergoing permitting with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Commissioner Taylor previously defended the project, alleging foreign funding behind the opposition and questioning the watchdog group's finances, a claim strongly denied by Watchdogs of Fort Meade member George McNerney.
The Supervisor of Elections office in Bartow now has 30 days to certify the gathered signatures. If certified, the targeted city officials can file a rebuttal, which will be attached to the petition before a second round of signature collection begins. Organizers express high confidence in securing enough support in the next phase, which could lead to a special recall election.
Mayor Williams and Commissioners McCutchen and Taylor have not yet publicly responded to the petition filing.