What Your City Council Isn’t Telling You About That New Data Center

Your city council just approved a new data center. Maybe you saw it on the agenda. Maybe you didn’t. Either way, there’s a good chance the deal was structured, negotiated, and nearly finalized before your community had any real opportunity to weigh in.

The Tax Incentive Shell Game

Most data center deals come with massive tax abatements, exemptions, and incentive packages that can last 10 to 20 years. A facility worth hundreds of millions of dollars might be paying a fraction of what a local homeowner pays in property taxes — for decades. Meanwhile, the infrastructure costs are immediate and paid by you.

The Jobs Myth

A facility that covers 20 acres and costs $500 million to build might employ just 30–50 full-time workers once operational. The jobs that do exist often require technical certifications that local residents don’t have access to — and many operators make no commitment to local hiring or workforce development.

How to Hold Your City Accountable

• Request the full incentive package. It’s public information. Ask for the dollar amount and the timeline.

• Demand a community benefit agreement with enforceable commitments: local hiring targets, workforce training, environmental monitoring, and direct community investment.

• Attend planning and zoning meetings. Bring neighbors. Record the proceedings. Ask questions on the record.

Your city council works for you. Make sure they remember that.