Across Linn County, I keep hearing the same question: What’s in it for us?
As massive data center projects are proposed across Iowa, residents are rightly asking why communities should shoulder resource-intensive development while trillion-dollar corporations generate enormous profits. It’s a fair question — and one the Linn County Board of Supervisors has taken seriously.
Recently, the board voted unanimously to finalize our data center ordinance after three readings, multiple public hearings, and weeks of community input. Over 100 residents attended our first reading in Palo, and their feedback directly shaped the final product. This is likely the most comprehensive data center ordinance a local government has adopted in Iowa…