Residents urge county to push for data-center ban; developer asks for tax, jobs and environmental analysis of Microsoft site

During the public-comment portion of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting on April 21, two speakers urged different kinds of county engagement on large-scale development proposals.

Dan Caruso of New Carlisle asked the board to "step out of your silo" and advise the County Council to pursue a total ban on data-center developments in St. Joseph County, saying Marshall County had moved from a moratorium to "a total ban on data center developments." Caruso told commissioners they had previously spoken publicly on a rezoning issue and asked them to take the same public stance on a ban.

Douglas Hunt, identifying himself as a senior partner at Holladay Properties and a former member of the Indiana State Senate, urged officials to analyze the likely property-tax revenues, employment and energy/decommissioning plans for a proposed Microsoft site. Hunt said that, based on comparable corporate-park development, "a quality park of 900 acres... provided about four employees per acre," which he said could imply "well over 3,000 employees." He also said he had not heard discussion of decommissioning or alternative-energy plans and called those issues "very important... to the future of this community."

The commissioners did not take action on the subjects raised during public comment in the transcript; the remarks were recorded as part of the public-comment period and no formal direction to staff or motions addressing data-center policy or the Microsoft site are recorded. The meeting adjourned after public comment.

The claims made in public comment — including Marshall County's policy change, projected employment numbers and estimated tax impacts — were speaker assertions and were not verified during the meeting. Outside verification would be required to confirm those figures and policy comparisons.