Overview
- Following Tuesday's municipal elections, Festus ousted four incumbents who backed a CRG Clayco AI data center, leaving the council without a quorum for a Wednesday meeting while results await certification.
- The council had voted 6–2 on March 30 to approve a $6 billion plan for a 360-acre site near Highway 67, which still stands after the election.
- Residents packed a March 31 meeting to protest what they called a rushed, opaque process, raising fears of eminent domain, higher electric bills, and a massive industrial site next to homes.
- City administrator Greg Camp touted major new tax revenue, while national figures such as Rep. Josh Gottheimer argued the buildout is needed to keep U.S. AI capacity competitive with China.
- In a parallel vote in Port Washington, Wisconsin, residents approved by about two to one a measure requiring public approval for future tax incentives tied to an OpenAI–Vantage campus, underscoring a broader, community-led push to constrain data center deals.