Port Washington voters pass referendum fueled by concerns about data center project

In response to concerns over a massive data center project, voters in Port Washington overwhelmingly supported a referendum Tuesday that gives residents more power over local development incentives.

The referendum passed with about 66 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from Ozaukee County. The measure, which followed a backlash over the city’s approval of a tax incremental district for a multi-billion-dollar data center project, requires voter approval for certain large development incentives.

Great Lakes Neighbors United, a community group that’s been opposed to the Port Washington data center development, celebrated the referendum’s passage, framing it as a win for “transparency and public participation.”

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.



https://www.wpr.org/news/port-washington-referendum-concerns-data-center-project