By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
Questions surrounding a potential data center project in Adams County continued to grow this month after discussion during the May 13 Manchester Local School District Board of Education meeting pointed toward what could become the first large scale public meeting involving company representatives connected to the proposal.
According to draft meeting minutes from the Manchester Board of Education, Board President Troy Thatcher told members he had been contacted by Adams County Economic Development Director Paul Worley regarding the possible use of the Manchester High School gymnasium for a meeting on either June 16 or June 18 from 4 – 8 p.m. Thatcher said no official purpose was provided, but stated “the thought is that it’s most likely regarding data centers.”
The discussion marks another development in an issue that has generated months of speculation, public concern and growing interest throughout Adams County.
Previous reporting by The People’s Defender has identified Amazon as the company believed to be exploring development opportunities connected to a potential data center campus in Adams County, including locations tied to former power plant infrastructure and the Buck Canyon site near Manchester. Local officials have repeatedly acknowledged conversations regarding data center development while also emphasizing that no formal site plans or incentive agreements have yet been publicly approved by county government.
The mention of a possible June meeting at Manchester High School is significant because it suggests representatives connected to the project could soon address the public directly. Community members have repeatedly called for greater transparency as rumors and questions surrounding the project have continued to circulate across the county.
The issue also appeared to influence official action taken later in the May 13 school board meeting when the board unanimously approved a resolution declaring opposition to any data center tax abatement agreement made without direct involvement between the property owner and the Board of Education.
While the resolution itself was not included in full within the draft minutes, the move signals growing concern among school officials about how potential tax incentive packages tied to large industrial development could impact district funding.
School districts in Ohio rely heavily on local property tax revenue, and tax abatements connected to economic development projects can substantially reduce taxable valuation unless separate compensation agreements are negotiated. Similar debates have emerged in other parts of Ohio where large scale data centers have sought tax incentives from local governments.
The Buck Canyon proposal and other possible data center locations in Adams County have become the subject of increasing public attention in recent months. Residents attending county meetings and community discussions have voiced concerns ranging from water usage and electric demand to environmental impacts, traffic, emergency services and long term effects on rural communities.
Supporters of potential development have argued that a data center project could bring construction jobs, infrastructure investment and additional economic activity into the county. Critics and skeptical residents, however, have questioned whether long term benefits would outweigh concerns involving utility usage, tax incentives and land use changes.
Economic Development Director Paul Worley has previously stated that county officials and partner agencies have been conducting due diligence discussions involving infrastructure, utilities and regulatory agencies as conversations surrounding possible development continue.
The May 13 Manchester meeting also demonstrated how the issue is increasingly reaching local institutions beyond county government. While the Board of Education did not debate specifics of the proposed development itself, the mention of a possible public forum and passage of the tax abatement resolution showed that school officials are now actively preparing for how potential projects could affect the district.
The discussion comes as Adams County residents continue organizing both for and against large scale data center development. Public turnout at county meetings connected to the issue has steadily increased over the past several months, with many meetings drawing standing room only crowds.
At the state level, the debate has also begun reaching Ohio politics more broadly. Earlier this year, the Ohio Ballot Board certified a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at prohibiting construction of data centers with peak electrical loads exceeding 25 megawatts, allowing supporters of the proposal to begin gathering signatures for a statewide ballot issue.
For now, many questions surrounding the Adams County proposal remain unanswered, including the exact scope of the project, infrastructure requirements, water sourcing plans and whether formal tax incentive requests will ultimately be submitted to local governments or school districts.
If the proposed June meeting at Manchester High School moves forward, it could provide the first direct public presentation involving representatives tied to the project and potentially offer residents additional details regarding what may become one of the largest economic development discussions in Adams County history.
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