Marysville sees AWS data center infrastructure permit as local group pushes charter amendment for referendums
The Union County Building Office has issued a $500,000 permit for an AWS underground fire main, indicating ongoing infrastructure work for a data center development in Marysville Innovation Park. Concurrently, the SMART Coalition in Marysville is proposing a charter amendment to lower the signature requirement for citizen referendums, aiming to restore local control over governmental decisions after state legislative changes raised the threshold. This initiative seeks to preserve citizen participation in local governance, potentially impacting future development projects.
The Union County Building Office recently issued a permit valued at $500,000 for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) underground fire main at 14300 Suntra Way in Marysville, Ohio. This permit covers 229,000 square feet and reflects ongoing infrastructure work for a growing data center campus within the Marysville Innovation Park. This was the largest commercial permit issued in Union County during May, contributing to over $8.5 million in total commercial construction value for the month.
In a separate but related development regarding local governance, the SMART Coalition, a citizen group in Marysville, announced it has submitted petitions for a proposed charter amendment. Gail Jenkins, a member of the coalition, addressed the Marysville City Council, stating the amendment aims to restore the signature threshold for citizen referendums to 10% of voters from the most recent gubernatorial election. This initiative seeks to counter a provision in Ohio's House Bill 96, which increased the requirement to 35%, making it significantly harder for residents to challenge local government decisions.
Jenkins argued that the higher threshold could deter future citizen-led referendum efforts, highlighting the SMART Coalition's successful 2023 campaign that led to voters rejecting the Stillwater annexation proposal by a 63% to 37% margin. The proposed amendment also seeks to allow petition circulators to begin collecting signatures before filing a certified copy of the challenged ordinance. The Union County Board of Elections will now review the petitions to determine if the measure will be placed on the November ballot, as the coalition emphasizes its goal is to preserve tools for citizen participation, not to target the current council.