‘We are angry’: Yukon crowd pushes petition to stop data center and calls for resignations
Yukon residents are escalating their efforts to stop a proposed data center project, initiating a petition to prohibit data centers within the city limits and calling for the resignations of Mayor Brian Gilmore and City Manager Jeff Decker. Concerns include noise and potential electricity rate increases. The city council discussed the property sale agreement with BLE Land Holdings but made no decisions on the agenda items related to the data center or city manager's status during the ongoing meeting.
Residents of Yukon, Oklahoma, are intensifying their opposition to a proposed data center, launching an initiative petition aimed at prohibiting data centers within the city. Frustration and anger were palpable among the locals, who expressed a lack of control over such facilities and voiced concerns primarily about noise pollution.
The petition effort is part of a broader push to prevent data center development in Yukon, with residents actively collecting signatures. Amidst these efforts, there have been calls for the resignation of Mayor Brian Gilmore and City Manager Jeff Decker, with critics highlighting the Mayor's past statements about the data center generating more tax money for the city.
Concerns also extend to the potential impact on electricity rates, with residents fearing increases due to the data center's power consumption. During a recent city council meeting, an item to discuss the previously approved purchase of property and a sale agreement between the city and BLE Land Holdings, the company behind the data center project, was on the agenda. Additionally, the council was set to discuss the status of the City Manager, though no decisions were made on these items as the meeting was still ongoing.