Champaign County Board passes resolution prohibiting tax breaks for data centers
The Champaign County Board unanimously approved a resolution barring the county from negotiating property-tax abatements or similar concessions for hyperscale data centers. The action follows public concerns about environmental impacts and noise, while a county task force develops broader data center regulations and an existing construction moratorium remains in effect until April 2027.
The Champaign County Board in Urbana unanimously approved an Oct. 13 resolution prohibiting the county from offering property-tax abatements, payments in lieu of taxes or other financial concessions to facilitate hyperscale data center construction. District 3 Republican John Farney urged municipalities and townships to adopt similar policies, while District 8 Democrat Stephanie Fortado praised the resolution as a model for other governments.
No data center companies have approached the county about construction, but officials said eliminating tax incentives could discourage future projects. The Champaign County Data Center Task Force is developing an ordinance addressing environmental and operational standards, and the county’s one-year moratorium on large-scale data center construction is set to expire in April 2027.