Taylor rejects citizens' efforts to temporarily ban data centers

The Taylor City Council decided not to take action on a citizen-initiated ordinance aimed at implementing a temporary ban on data centers, informing the public of their decision via a Facebook post made shortly after the council meeting began. Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Cmerek stated that state law precludes a city from enacting or changing its zoning by popular vote, which formed the basis for the council's decision to neither pass the ban nor refer it to voters.

This method of communication, coupled with the absence of Mayor Jim Buzan, drew sharp criticism from residents and organizers like Sarah Winters and Carrie D'Anna of the Halt Taylor Data Center Coalition. They highlighted the disrespect shown to community members who had gathered, some traveling from other cities, to speak on an issue they deemed critical to protecting water, the electricity grid, and quality of life.

The proposed ordinance, backed by over 1,400 signatures, sought to amend Taylor's land development code to halt current data center projects and prevent new approvals until a specific digital infrastructure zoning district could be established. Despite the rejection of the ordinance, Cmerek encouraged continued resident involvement as the council intends to address data center concerns through amendments to the city's comprehensive plan and land development code. This development in Taylor follows similar actions in other Central Texas cities, including San Marcos, which enacted its own data center ban, and Hays County, which passed a symbolic resolution pausing data center development due to water scarcity concerns.