Residents urge Pinellas commissioners to curb data centers, criticize tax and spending priorities

A long public-comment period at the June 16 Pinellas County Commission meeting focused on local development, taxes and technology infrastructure.

Speakers representing neighborhood groups and grassroots organizations urged the board to consider restrictions or a moratorium on hyperscale data centers and cell towers placed close to residences. Lauren Mons of the Florida Coalition for Safe Technology told commissioners that communities are seeing cell towers placed “10 to 20 feet from our homes” and urged local work on state law (she cited S.B. 180 and S.B. 484) to protect property values and limit installations near dwellings.

Several speakers also criticized county spending and rising ad valorem collections, arguing the county budget has grown while the population stagnated. Commentators pressed the board to consider larger millage rollbacks and increased oversight of discretionary spending; one frequent commenter cited a rise in county property-tax collections from $410 million in 2018 to $620 million in 2025 and called for clearer roll-back calculations.

Commissioners acknowledged the comments and said staff has advised that, under current county zoning code, large data centers are not a permitted land use in unincorporated Pinellas County; staff also said some facilities such as university or hospital data rooms would be treated differently. The board directed staff and the county attorney's office to examine code and potential options and to consult with municipal partners on a consistent approach.

Several commissioners said they will discuss the issue with staff and return with recommendations; Commissioner Flowers suggested an outreach or ceremonial expression of local policy preferences to inform cities and prospective developers.