US EditionNation’s first anti-data center referendum passes in Wisconsin
The 66% to 34% vote gives residents approval power over future tax incentives for developments costing more than $10 million.
- On Tuesday, Port Washington voters passed a citizen-proposed referendum with 66.41% support, requiring voter approval for future Tax Increment Districts exceeding $10 million.
- Driven by a $15 billion data center campus receiving $458 million in tax benefits, the grassroots group Great Lakes Neighbors United organized the petition to ensure future facilities undergo public review.
- Business leaders unsuccessfully attempted to block the ballot measure in court before the election, and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce filed a lawsuit afterward, arguing the restrictive language could hurt regional investment.
- With a margin of more than 1,300 votes, organizer Michael Beaster said the outcome empowers residents: "People now have a future way to weigh in on developments like this when public funds are involved."
- Between March and June 2025, local opposition blocked or delayed data center projects worth $98 billion, according to Data Center Watch, positioning Port Washington's first-of-its-kind measure as part of a broader national trend.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Wisconsin City Passes America’s First Anti-Data Center Referendum
Voters in the Wisconsin city of Port Washington approved a referendum barring tax breaks for data centers without a public vote. Mike Stewart/APVoters in a Wisconsin city passed the nation’s first anti-data center referendum Tuesday, aiming to restrict future development of the massive, energy-intensive facilities.“Tonight, democracy worked the way it’s supposed to,” Christine Le Jeune with Great Lakes Neighbors Incorporated, a state-based citiz…
Port Washington voters pass referendum fueled by concerns about data center project
The lopsided outcome reflects broader unease in Wisconsin over the rapid expansion of data center developments, seen both in recent polling and in local opposition across the state. The post Port Washington voters pass referendum fueled by concerns about data center project appeared first on WPR.
Nation’s first anti-data center referendum passes in Wisconsin
A Wisconsin city passed a referendum Tuesday targeting data center construction, requiring future large-scale projects that receive tax benefits to secure approval from local voters. Port Washington, which sits just north of Milwaukee, approved the referendum with about 66 percent support, according to unofficial results published by the county. It is the first measure of…
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