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Residents press Adams County commissioners for transparency, ballot on proposed data center
Summary
At the March 30 meeting residents urged Adams County commissioners for clearer information about a proposed data center, raising questions about tax abatements, expected employment, and outside expert reviews; commissioners said no written proposal has been submitted and pledged an informational public meeting.
Brett Spencer, a concerned citizen of Sprigg Township, urged the Adams County Commissioners on March 30 to disclose more information about a proposed data center, press for outside expert analysis of fiscal impacts and tax abatements, and place the question on a public ballot so voters can decide whether they want a data center in the county. Spencer said residents want clarity on projected annual tax abatements and the net effect on local schools.
Commissioner Barbara Moore Holt responded that the board has not received a written tax abatement request or a formal project proposal. Commissioner Kelly Jones said the board met within the last two weeks with an attorney representing Amazon, but reiterated that without a written proposal nothing is final and the commissioners’ authority would be limited to any abatement request if and when it is submitted. The board said it will schedule an informational public meeting to share available information and hear resident questions.
During public comment, legal counsel Austin Baurichter reported on a countywide zoning petition delivered March 23; the Board of Elections validated signatures and found 336 valid and 402 invalid of 738 submitted signatures, short of the 527 valid signatures required under R.C. 303.01–303.25. The board therefore rejected the petition. Resident Emily Harper challenged the county’s employee-count assumptions for a completed data center, saying her research showed an average of about 18 employees per completed facility; the commissioners said staffing estimates depend on building count and emphasized that exact figures await a formal proposal.
The meeting record shows the board has not approved any tax abatement or contract related to a data center; until a written proposal is filed the commissioners said only discussion and public outreach will occur. The board’s next procedural step is an informational public meeting for residents, which commissioners said will be scheduled and announced publicly.
