State Rep. Dylan Wigela warns of data‑center impacts, urges moratorium and flags surveillance concerns

State Rep. Dylan Wigela (who represents parts of Romulus and areas that include Garden City) used his March 9 appearance before the Garden City City Council to deliver a wide-ranging update that touched on utility billing, data‑center growth, immigration enforcement and mass‑surveillance concerns.

Wigela said his office has introduced legislation that would prohibit utilities such as DTE Energy from charging a fee for credit‑ or debit‑card payments. "I see this as just another attempt for DTE to raise rates on residents," he said, adding that his bill is intended to stop companies from shifting transaction costs to customers. He also criticized recent state tax exemptions for data centers and said some data‑center projects have been fast‑tracked by state agencies.

On data centers specifically, Wigela urged caution and said his committee is examining corporate subsidies and state investments tied to large AI and data‑processing facilities. He referenced a Saline Township project that, he said, is projected to increase DTE’s load by about 25% and could use the electricity equivalent of "1,000,000 homes," and warned that those costs could be passed on to ratepayers. "I think it's important for us to talk about it and let people know that there are some of us that are fighting DTE in Lansing," he said. He said he has co‑sponsored bipartisan legislation calling for a one‑year moratorium on new data centers while policymakers study potential environmental, fiscal and community impacts.

Wigela also raised concerns about privacy and automated surveillance. He noted a bipartisan push in Lansing to regulate automatic license‑plate readers operated by a private company (identified in discussion and contract documents as Flock) and said the ACLU has model legislation to protect privacy. During council discussion the city manager confirmed current local retention for license‑plate reader data is 30 days; the city manager also said staff would consult with the police chief about whether contracts permit selling data to third parties and would report back.

Wigela told the council the federal government has purchased property in his district intended for use as a detention facility and expressed opposition to expanded federal immigration enforcement actions. He warned of broader fiscal choices at the state and federal level, including funding shifts that, he said, have reduced school‑aid dollars and accelerated corporate tax breaks. He described a need to guard local revenue and prioritize K‑12 funding.

Council members asked Wigela clarifying questions about the license‑plate system, data retention, and the feasibility of local moratoria. The city manager and other city staff committed to follow up on contract details and to make relevant policies available to the public. A resident in public comment later asked whether Garden City has a policy governing municipal data use in AI tools; the city manager acknowledged the request and said staff would compile accurate information and report back.

Claims and follow‑up

- Wigela asserted that the Saline Township project would increase DTE’s load by 25% and use the electricity of about 1,000,000 homes; the council did not verify the figure during the meeting. Status: asserted by Wigela; follow‑up required for independent verification. - Wigela said his office introduced a bill to bar card‑payment fees imposed by utilities. Status: asserted by Wigela; bill introduction was described as an immediate response by his office. - Wigela said current municipal license‑plate reader data retention in Garden City is 30 days; the city manager confirmed that retention window and said staff would review contract specifics and privacy safeguards.

Representative contact and engagement

Wigela encouraged residents to attend rotating coffee hours in the district (posted dates) and provided his office contact (dylanwagela@house.mi.gov and (517) 373‑3818) for constituent questions. He said he would continue working in Lansing on data‑center oversight, corporate subsidy reviews and privacy legislation.

Why this matters to Garden City

Wigela’s remarks connect state policy debates—subsidies for data centers, utility regulation and surveillance law—to local concerns about utility rates, environmental impacts, neighborhood livability and privacy. Council and staff said they will review any contractual or policy actions needed at the local level (for example, whether a local moratorium is feasible and what the city can require of vendors using city rights‑of‑way).