Supervisors in Wright County are sharing their views of data centers after residents who oppose and support data center development in Wright County crowded into a board meeting this week in Clarion. Supervisor Dean Kluss says he’s studied the issue and is opposed to a moratorium on data center expansion into Wright County. “With the current Iowa legislature and the restrictions of 2% on property taxes, we’re going need to continue to fund the county and the county’s infrastructure and so a moratorum kind of closes the door on anybody even coming in and talking to us about a data center and what possible positives that could have for us,” he said. “I’m not opposed to developing some ordinances and stuff…but I would like to see what kind of development agreement (could be written) to bring something like that into the county.”
Wright County Supervisor Betty Ellis is also focused on the potential tax revenue for the county. “I don’t know that it brings in a ton because it’s machinery and equipment,” Ellis said. “…It’s basically the shell that gets taxed.”
Wright County Supervisor Ashley Bosch focused on the full-time jobs associated with data centers. “I would rather see something that brings lots of employees,” Bosch said. “Data centers don’t necessarily bring lots of employees.” Wright County Planning and Zoning Commissioner Jeremy Abbas told the supervisors they’d have to consider whether to rezone prime farmland for a data center and might have to consider whether a wind turbine would be nearby to provide electricity. “As far as the water goes, a lot of what we’re seeing is closed loop, so reusage of the water and a lot of these ordinances are mandating closed loop,” Abbas said. “…Some of them are forcing them to drill their own wells for emergency services because who knows what type of fire that type of building can put out.” Wright County Economic Development Director Aaron Budweg says data centers have been around for 50 years and the county has the opportunity to embrace updated versions of the technology.