No nondisclosure agreements found for Temple mayor or council regarding data centers

A public records request in Temple, Texas, has found no evidence that Mayor Tim Davis or any Temple City Council members entered into nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with Meta or Rowan Digital Infrastructure concerning data center projects. This finding contradicts repeated claims by local data center opponents who alleged that such agreements limited what city officials could disclose. The controversy intensified after Temple resident Delia Trevino reported that Mayor Davis told her and another resident at a March 2 Rowan open house that he couldn't discuss certain issues due to an NDA. Mayor Davis later publicly apologized at a March 19 Council meeting, clarifying that he had "misstated" having an NDA. However, some opponents, including Sarah Royer, questioned his explanation, suggesting potential state-level pressure or "arm-twisting" on city officials. The issue resurfaced at an April 16 Council meeting, where resident Elena Voytko challenged Davis, accusing him of lacking clarity regarding NDAs. Davis reiterated that he had misspoke and denied lying, expressing frustration that his error was being framed as dishonesty. City Attorney Kathy Davis also contributed to the confusion, initially inferring the city had an NDA after seeing draft documents with Meta, only to later confirm that no executed agreement could be found by the city, Temple Economic Development Corporation, or Meta. Resident Nell Brindley expressed ongoing uncertainty due to what she termed "doublespeak."