Video: Recall and referendum petitions filed in Claremore over data center
Residents in Claremore, Oklahoma, have filed recall petitions against the entire city council and referendum petitions to put three recently approved ordinances related to the Project Mustang data center to a public vote. This action aims to halt the data center project despite the city's confidence in its economic benefits.
Controversy continues to surround data center developments, specifically in Claremore, Oklahoma, regarding the Project Mustang data center. Despite the Claremore City Council's approval of a tax incentive district for the project and ordinances effectively giving it the green light, some residents are actively working to "pump the brakes" on the development.
Social activist Ron Durban has filed nine recall petitions, one for each city councilor, to initiate a recall process. Additionally, Durban submitted paperwork demanding that three ordinances (numbers 10, 11, and 12) recently passed by the council, which paved the way for the data center, be put to a vote by the people through a referendum. Resident Alex Miller expressed frustration over a lack of communication from city officials regarding his concerns about the data center.
The City of Claremore maintains its confidence in the long-term benefits and positive economic impact of the approved data center project. However, the opposition is gaining traction, with a candidate for city council, Hannah Pek, running on a platform of transparency and representation, acknowledging resident concerns about how data centers have affected other towns' quality of life. Former city councilor Susan Curtley urged residents not to sign the petitions, citing an estimated $6.6 million in annual economic benefit for the city. Signature gathering for the petitions is scheduled to begin in front of the Rogers County Courthouse in Claremore.