Residents tell commissioners to halt rezonings for data centers, seek hearings on amended solar and tax-abatement rules

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. — Residents speaking during public comment at the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners’ Aug. 19 meeting urged officials to stop further rezonings for data centers, to allow public hearings on an amended solar ordinance, and to reassess a recently introduced tax-abatement ordinance.

Dan Caruso of New Carlisle told commissioners the Area Plan Commission planned to vote “up or down” on a property-value-guarantee issue without public input and said previous meetings showed most attendees opposed the proposal. "If you're gonna do it for that type of business, it's only fair to do it for all of them," Caruso said, arguing that property-value guarantees could be sought by residents living near slaughterhouses, confined animal feeding operations, sewage-treatment plants, landfills and data centers.

Charlotte Wolf of Lakeville said rezonings that convert agricultural land to industrial use have proceeded despite repeated public comment and urged commissioners to stop further rezonings for data centers. Wolf said county residents have become a "cautionary tale" for other Indiana counties and questioned the long-term local benefits of large data-center developments, citing concerns about permanent jobs, water and electricity use and transparency about local average wages. She also noted an additional rezoning application in the county for nearly 1,000 acres.

A commenter identified as Steve said the county should seek a legal ruling and permit additional public comment before the Area Plan Commission votes on an amended anti‑solar ordinance, arguing the change is substantial and merits a hearing. Steve said his own rough calculation suggested the ordinance’s appraisal and bonding requirements could make a modest-sized solar facility financially impractical and described the estimated appraisal/bond costs as "absolutely exorbitant." He also criticized a newly proposed tax-abatement ordinance, saying it rescinds the prior ordinance that incorporated community-benefit criteria and replaces it with language that requires only compliance with federal equal-opportunity forms.

Several speakers referenced local reporting and statements by the county’s economic-development director; Dan Caruso cited a Sunday Tribune article quoting the county’s economic-development director, Bill Shalio, about a proposed data center.

Speakers pressed for more opportunities for public input at the Area Plan Commission and County Council levels. Commissioners recessed the meeting after public comment; no formal action on the rezoning, solar or tax-abatement matters was taken at the Aug. 19 commissioners meeting.

Ending: Residents indicated they plan to continue attending APC and council meetings; commissioners did not take action on the issues during this session.