Judge rules in favor of Port Washington ordinance on data center TIFs
An Ozaukee County judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Port Washington's ordinance requiring public votes on large tax incentives. The ordinance, backed by data center opponents, remains in effect after voters approved it in an April referendum, though it could still face an appeal.
Ozaukee County Circuit Court Judge Adam Gerol dismissed a challenge to a Port Washington ordinance requiring voter approval for large new tax incentives. The ordinance was approved in an April referendum after a data center project received $458 million in local tax incentives, including tax increment financing.
Great Lakes Neighbors United, a data center opposition group, helped propose and defend the ordinance. Business and trade groups challenged the measure over concerns about its impact on future economic development, while the data center campus involved Vantage Data Centers, Oracle and OpenAI. The ordinance remains in effect but could be appealed to a higher court.