Sangamon County Board Chair Addresses Data Center Opposition, Benefits
Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter expressed frustration over public opposition to a new CyrusOne data center near Waverly, which was ultimately approved after extensive public hearings. Van Meter defended the project, citing its significant property tax contributions and the decades-long, uneventful operation of other data centers in the county.
Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter recently addressed frustrations over public opposition to data center developments at the "State of Greater Springfield" event, hosted by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Van Meter highlighted the county's rigorous process, including sixteen public hearings, that led to the approval of a CyrusOne data center near Waverly.
He refuted claims that data centers do not pay assessed taxes, presenting county staff research confirming CyrusOne's record of timely payments in jurisdictions with similar assessment methods. Van Meter projected that the CyrusOne project could contribute up to $98 million in property taxes to Sangamon County over 20 years. He also pointed to existing data centers, such as Memorial Hospital's facility and the State of Illinois' data center in Springfield, which have operated for decades without controversy, despite being in residential and commercial areas.
Van Meter criticized public skepticism and what he perceived as misrepresentation of facts, including claims that the Waverly data center, despite its size, would generate noise equivalent to children playing and be located one and a half miles from any home. He also expressed discontent with media coverage of the issue.