LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) — For months, the proposed Hut 8 data center has stirred debate in Logan County. Now, some county officials want to reconsider the yearlong moratorium passed in May. The possibility of overturning the moratorium sparked heated discussion.
"We feel betrayed as a population. We fought really hard for that 12-month moratorium, and the entire purpose of it was to give us time to have more citizen feedback on the ordinance and get studies done," resident Rachel Stechman said.
The recent closure of the Logan County Correctional Facility has left questions about how the county will replace lost jobs and one of its biggest revenue streams.
Hut 8 said its project could bring millions of dollars in tax revenue to the county and create 100 permanent jobs.
"There is an opportunity to reconsider maybe the moratorium on the data center because of what we could do with that $65 million. There were some discussions all week and potentially would be giving that tax relief to the community," Board Chairman Dale Nelson said.
On the other hand, some board members say reversing the moratorium is a bad idea. J. Lance Conahan said the county should put the data center question on the November ballot so voters can weigh in.
"They should at least trust their voice to be heard on the ballot. So that was the whole vote and the moratorium. This is wrong. This is totally wrong. This is a sham, and I will not be a part of anything of that nature," Conahan said.
Even after hearing about the economic hit from the prison closure, Stechman said she still opposes data centers.
"I don't think the people of Logan feel like they're for sale out there. There may be that monetary benefit, but there are plenty of other benefits to our environment, our quality of life and the character of our county that we aren't willing to part with," Stechman said.
WAND News reached out to Hut 8 about the moratorium. Developers said they were disappointed by the board's decision to enact the yearlong delay but respect the board's authority.
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