Amici curiae join legal action regarding referendum petition
Ashville residents and advocacy groups are involved in a legal dispute at the Supreme Court of Ohio, seeking to compel the Ashville Fiscal Officer to certify a referendum petition against Ordinance No. 06-2026, which is related to a data center project. EdgeConneX has joined the litigation to protect its property interests and development. The Supreme Court has not dismissed the case and ordered responses from all parties.
The Ohio Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal action initiated by Ashville residents Laura V. McNamara-Smith, Brian Thomas Meyers, and Allison G. Meade against Ashville Fiscal Officer April Grube. The residents filed a petition for a writ of mandamus to compel Grube to certify a referendum petition for Ordinance No. 06-2026, which was passed in April 2026 and pertains to a large-scale data center development by EdgeConneX. The referendum seeks to allow Ashville voters to decide on the ordinance in the November 2026 general election.
Ms. Grube rejected the referendum petition as "insufficient and invalid," prompting the residents' lawsuit. EdgeConneX, through its entities EdgeConneX Inc. and EdgeConneX MCN Ashville Properties 1, LLC, has filed a motion to intervene in the litigation as a respondent, asserting its property interests are directly affected. Two amici curiae, Data Center Resistance and Pickaway Informed Voters, have also joined the case in support of the Ashville residents, arguing for the citizens' right to referendum against what they describe as an improper attempt to circumvent a popular vote. The Supreme Court of Ohio has not dismissed the case and has ordered all parties to file responses by July 27, 2026.