Independence Councilman John Perkins recalled after data center vote
Independence, Missouri voters successfully recalled District 1 Councilman John Perkins due to his vote to approve a $150 billion data center project, referred to as the AI Factory. The unofficial results showed over 68 percent of voters supported the recall. Despite the recall, the data center project is already under construction and is not affected by the election outcome.
Voters in Independence, Missouri, successfully recalled District 1 Councilman John Perkins during a special election. Unofficial results indicate that 68% of voters supported the recall, with 1118 votes to 525 against Perkins.
The recall effort stemmed from Perkins' vote to approve a $150 billion data center project, known as the "AI Factory," which is already under construction in Independence. While some residents, including Councilman Perkins himself, viewed the data center as a significant economic development for the city, others expressed frustration that their elected leaders, including Perkins, did not listen to public testimony and voted in favor of billions of dollars in tax incentives for the project.
Perkins, who served on the city council for 18 years, maintained that he acted in the best interest of Independence by supporting the project in an area designated for economic development. However, opponents of the data center felt he did not represent them in the deal, which they described as the largest industrial project in the city's history. Perkins is now the third politician to be removed from office by voters over this issue.
The Jackson County Election Board plans to certify the final results next week. Despite the outcome of the recall election, the data center project remains unaffected and continues to move forward with construction.