Transparent decisions, public input, and fair deals for Meade County and Radcliff.

What happened with the data center

Potential District 27 projects demand transparency

• In October 2025, a rushed attempt to rezone agricultural land for a data center was placed on a noon Monday agenda with minimal notice.

• As a member of the Meade County Planning and Zoning Commission, I learned about the subject only days before—and first saw details on Facebook. That’s not how major land-use decisions should be made.

• More than 500 residents attended. Not a single speaker supported the proposal. The community deserved a transparent process, with clear information shared well in advance—not a hurried meeting in the middle of the workday.

Why this matters

• Decisions that reshape our county—land use, infrastructure, public costs—must be made in the open, with ample time for public review and comment.

• Rushing controversial items erodes trust and feeds the perception that decisions are being made for us, not with us.

Lessons from past deals

• Major projects have too often advanced with limited transparency. Key terms—tax abatements, utility discounts, and public bonding—should be explained publicly before votes occur, including who pays what and for how long.

• For example, local ratepayers shoulder higher electric costs when large industrial users receive special discounts. Public estimates have placed those costs in the millions annually, spread across roughly 121,000 other customers—about $100 a year per customer. Residents deserve to see the math and the agreements before decisions are finalized.

• When public bonding is used for private projects, taxpayers bear risk. That risk and any safeguards should be disclosed plainly, in writing, and discussed in open meetings.

My stance

• I don’t fault companies for negotiating the best deal they can. I fault public officials when they don’t secure fair terms or inform the public.

• Economic development has to be a net positive for residents—not just on ribbon-cutting day, but on utility bills, tax fairness, traffic and farm logistics, and long-term land use.

• The community must have a real say in weighing trade-offs. If a project can’t withstand public scrutiny, it shouldn’t move forward.

What I’ll do

• Sunshine first: Require early, public posting of proposed agreements, financial terms, and meeting agendas—no last-minute surprises on high-impact items.

• Real public input: Hold evening hearings with adequate notice, plain-language summaries, and Q&A before any vote on rezonings, subsidies, or bonds.

• Taxpayer safeguards: Bar open-ended tax abatements; require clawbacks and performance benchmarks; publish plain-English cost/benefit analyses.

• Utility fairness: Prohibit cross-subsidies that push industrial costs onto families and small businesses without explicit, public approval and documented community benefit.

• Agriculture protected: Preserve critical farm infrastructure and access. No project should undermine the backbone of our local economy.

• Independent review: For large projects, commission third-party analyses and post them online in full.

My commitment to you

• I will keep the public informed, listen before deciding, and vote in line with what’s best for Meade County and Radcliff.

• Decisions with significant community impact will be presented well in advance, with full documentation and meaningful opportunities for public comment.

• Accountability means owning mistakes. When leaders get it wrong, they should say so—and fix it. That’s the standard I’ll follow.