Google data center in rural Missouri plan raises tax and transparency questions

Google announced a $15 billion investment in a new data center south of Interstate 70 in Montgomery County, Missouri, complementing an Amazon Data Services project already underway north of the highway. The data center is part of a larger 5,000-acre industrial megasite, for which Montgomery County received a $5 million federal grant to create "shovel-ready" sites.

Supporters, including Gov. Mike Kehoe and Montgomery County commissioners, tout the projects for bringing over 2,000 construction jobs and 200 permanent positions, along with millions in annual tax revenue. County commissioners plan to offer Google a 70% personal property tax abatement, which would see Google pay $10 million annually for 20 years, with portions distributed to local towns and the Gasconade County School District. Amazon Data Services is also set to receive substantial personal property tax exemptions.

However, some Montgomery County residents, organized as Preserve Montgomery County LLC, have voiced strong opposition, citing a lack of transparency and exclusion from the decision-making process. They question why the issue was not put to a public vote, with Presiding County Commissioner Ryan Poston stating that public input occurs through elections and comment, not direct ballots. Concerns about electricity prices and environmental impacts were acknowledged by Gov. Kehoe. A public hearing is scheduled for June 8 to discuss the cost-benefit analysis of Google's tax incentive plan. The article also mentions similar public outrage in Festus, where voters ousted city council members over a data center approval, and in Camdenton, where a moratorium on data center development was enacted due to health and environmental concerns.