‘Blinded by dollar signs’: Independence wrestles with 90% tax abatement for massive AI data center
News Clipthebeaconnews.org·Independence, Jackson County, MO·2/27/2026
The city of Independence, Missouri is considering giving a 90% tax abatement over 20 years to Nebius, a technology company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for a proposed hyperscale data center project worth up to $150.6 billion. This has faced opposition from some local residents who are concerned about the hasty approval process and the large tax break. The city council is expected to vote on the abatement on March 2nd.
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Gov: Independence City Council
Rachel Gonzalez did not foresee becoming an opposition leader to what could be the largest economic development project in the history of Independence, Missouri. She is a lifelong resident, living just a few miles from a proposed hyperscale data center site. She knows and voted for several of the c