Johnstown City Council approves special election to decide data center ban; Election slated for January 2027
The Johnstown City Council approved a special election for January 5, 2027, allowing voters to decide on a city charter amendment that would ban large data centers within city limits. This decision follows a verified petition from residents expressing environmental concerns, though Mayor Tiffany Hollis emphasized the need for community education before changing the city's governing doctrine. An existing Cologix data center campus within the city would not be affected by the proposed ban.
The Johnstown City Council has scheduled a special election for January 5, 2027, to put a proposed city charter amendment before voters that would prohibit the construction of large data centers within city limits. The council's decision, made at a special meeting on September 10, was necessitated after they were unable to meet quorum requirements to include the issue on the upcoming November 3 ballot.
The ballot measure, outlined in a petition, seeks to add Section 10.07 to Article X of the charter, banning data centers that exceed a combined monthly demand of 25 megawatts. Petitioners successfully gathered 133 validated signatures, surpassing the 123 required for a charter amendment to appear on the ballot. Johnstown Mayor Tiffany Hollis stated the special election could cost the city $15,000 and emphasized the importance of educating voters on the issue, noting strong community concerns regarding environmental impacts.
Hollis also mentioned that an ongoing Cologix data center campus construction within city limits would proceed regardless of the election's outcome. She raised questions about potential disadvantages to the city if it bans data centers while surrounding areas continue to develop, missing out on economic benefits despite facing infrastructure strain from regional development.