Residents opposed to tax breaks for a massive data center in Independence are ready to formally launch an effort to put the incentives on the ballot later this year so voters can weigh in.
But a spokesperson for the city said Thursday the city charter “does not permit a referendum on this specific matter, and approving a petition for circulation would be in violation of the Charter.”
The Independence City Council recently approved $6.26 billion in tax breaks over 20 years for the data center. Nebius, the Netherlands-based company leading the project, plans to begin constructing the nearly 400-acre AI campus later this year…