Ousted conservative, Democratic newcomer seek seats on Clackamas County commission - Oregon Public Broadcasting
The Clackamas County Commission unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data center development in unincorporated areas on Oct. 22. The action has become an issue in the county commission election, with challenger R.W. Smith opposing data center growth and incumbent Diana Helm saying the county needs clear policies before considering projects.
Clackamas County voters are choosing between incumbent commissioners and challengers in an election shaped largely by affordability, public safety and county governance. One candidate, R.W. Smith, has made opposition to data center development a central campaign issue, describing the industry’s growth as harmful and criticizing incumbent Diana Helm for previously saying the county could benefit from data centers.
The county commission unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Clackamas County on Oct. 22. Helm said her earlier comments were taken out of context and that she supports evaluating the facilities carefully because the county previously lacked policies governing them; she said she is neither categorically for nor against data centers. The county currently has one known facility on the Siemens campus in Wilsonville, where the county lacks land-use authority.