Monticello City Council field grows to four as three vie for mayor's seat
Local elections in Monticello are underway, with candidates for mayor and city council filing for office. A proposed hyperscale data center has become a central campaign issue, with several challengers expressing strong opposition due to concerns about city growth, infrastructure, and community character. Incumbent Mayor Lloyd Hilgart defends the city's progress, including past adoption of a data center zoning ordinance.
The upcoming Monticello City Council and mayoral elections are seeing active campaigning, with a proposed hyperscale data center emerging as a significant issue. Three candidates are vying for the mayor's office, and four are competing for two City Council seats. Incumbent Mayor Lloyd Hilgart is seeking a fourth term, highlighting the city's progress in downtown redevelopment, commercial growth, and the past adoption of a data center zoning ordinance during his tenure.
Challengers Scott Cutsforth and Derek Armstrong, running for City Council, have both voiced strong opposition to the proposed data center. Cutsforth, who works in accounting and finance, expressed concerns about the project's impact on Monticello's quality of life and the strain on local infrastructure, pledging to scrutinize the project and any proposed changes to the city's data center ordinance. Armstrong, an engineer, also opposes the project, advocating for responsible growth that aligns with infrastructure capacity and greater transparency in city government.
Mayoral candidate Monica Primeau, an outspoken data center opponent, is challenging Mayor Hilgart. Primeau, a former nurse case manager, criticized the current leadership for a perceived lack of transparency and a 'bare minimum attitude,' emphasizing the need to prioritize community engagement for large-scale projects like the proposed data center, especially given its requirement for annexation and special zoning. Former City Council member Jeff Rowan, another mayoral challenger, also opposes the data center, citing frustrations with rising property taxes and city spending. The general election is scheduled for November 3.