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Local group urges 12-month pause on data center abatements, citing housing, water and grid concerns
Summary
A community organizer told Scurry County commissioners the county should pause proposed tax abatements for data centers until independent studies assess impacts on housing supply, electric load and water resources, and reported a rapid community petition supporting a pause.
Scott Strong, who identified himself as an administrator of a local Snyder community platform, told the Scurry County Commissioners Court that residents are asking officials to impose a 12-month moratorium on data center tax abatements until independent impact studies are completed.
"We are not here to block responsible economic growth. We are here to demand that our local infrastructure and resources are legally protected before any contracts are finalized," Strong said during the public-comment period, placing a formal notice of intent on the record.
Strong presented three core concerns: housing availability, electrical-grid capacity and water supply. He told the court a real-time market check found fewer than 10 move-in-ready rental properties in Snyder and said local rents jumped about 9% in the last month, arguing that a sudden influx of temporary industrial contractors could exhaust housing and push local prices higher.
He also warned of strain to the electric system and water resources. Citing projections he described as from the state grid operator, Strong said data centers are expected to be a major driver of electricity-load growth in Texas through 2031 and said facilities of this kind require millions of gallons of water for cooling — a demand he said should be evaluated against local agricultural wells and municipal supplies.
To document local concern, Strong said his platform launched a community poll and, in roughly 48 hours, 200 residents had voted; about 92% favored a 12-month pause while the county reviewed impacts. He also said he filed a Public Information Act request on May 15 to obtain the county records related to proposed abatements and said he would return at a future meeting to present petition results and a formal request to the court.
Why it matters: County-level tax abatements for large facilities like data centers can affect housing markets, utility demand and water supplies; residents and local officials often request studies to understand trade-offs and to set mitigation requirements before contracts are finalized.
What the court said: Commissioners did not discuss or act on Strong’s request during the public-comment period because the item was not on the posted agenda; staff and a commissioner noted that the court cannot deliberate on unscheduled items and that the matter would need to be placed on a future agenda for formal consideration.
Next step: Strong said he plans to return to a regular meeting in June after his records request and community poll conclude. The court did not set any immediate action or hearing at the meeting where Strong spoke.
