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Commissioner re‑reads notice on limits to public money in development, ties it to data‑center moratorium
Summary
A commissioner read a long notice into the record criticizing the use of public money or incentives for private economic development and urged that controversial development proposals involving public funds be decided by the people (via election); he said the language is incorporated into the county’s energy ordinance and should be considered in future development rules.
A Boone County commissioner used his July 6 comments to revisit the board’s moratorium on data centers and to read a lengthy "notice" arguing that public money and financial incentives cannot lawfully be used to support private economic development.
The commissioner (S3) referenced state constitutional provisions and case law and said the notice requires that, where there is controversy over a proposed development that involves public money, "the body of the people" should decide—suggesting elections as a remedy for contested projects. He said the notice had been included in language in the county’s energy ordinance to ensure disclosure about public-money involvement in development proposals. "Number 1, can't involve any public money," he said of the proposed ordinance language addressing development incentives.
The remarks framed the moratorium discussion in constitutional terms and urged the board to incorporate these principles into future development ordinances. Commissioners did not take a formal vote on new ordinance language during the meeting; the remarks were presented as a policy position and a record statement to guide future drafting and decisions.
