Ferguson Advocacy for Civic Transparency discusses recall effort over data center project

News Clip2:21KSDK News·Ferguson, St. Louis County, MO·9/10/2026

Ferguson residents are launching a recall campaign against city council members who support a proposed $1.8 billion data center project at the former Emerson campus. The project was previously voted down but has re-emerged, sparking a grassroots effort to remove the supportive council members. Councilman Nick Kessoff believes the project is vital for the city's tax base and expects it to pass.

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Gov: Ferguson City Council, City of Ferguson, Festus City Council, City of Festus

Neighbors in Ferguson, Missouri, are initiating a recall campaign against city council members who have supported a controversial $1.8 billion data center project. The project, proposed for the former Emerson campus, had previously been voted down but has recently re-emerged for consideration.

Christopher Sudlik, representing Ferguson Advocacy for Civic Transparency, expressed strong opposition to the data center, stating that a grassroots effort is underway to remove council members who favor the plan. Residents plan to go door-to-door to gather support for the recall, anticipating a vote on the project in approximately two weeks.

Councilman Nick Kessoff defended the project, arguing that it would bring a major development to the city, significantly increasing its tax base and revenues. Despite Kessoff's stance, residents are proceeding with the recall, citing a previous instance in Festus where incumbents who supported a data center project lost re-election bids. The recall paperwork is being finalized for submission to the city of Ferguson.