Trenton City Council Proposes Tax Cuts to Oppose Data Center Ban

The Trenton City Council introduced five resolutions offering financial benefits to residents if voters reject Issue 17, a November ballot measure that would ban data centers. The proposed incentives include a freeze on levy requests, discounted YMCA memberships, and a waiver of the 3.24-mill general fund inside property tax for 2026. These measures are intended to facilitate the construction of two Amazon Web Services data centers.

Finance Director Matthew Mesisklis stated that the tax cuts are possible because of the economic benefits the data centers would provide. He warned that if the ban passes, residents could face up to 7 mills in additional property taxes to maintain city services.

City Attorney Nick Ziepfel defended the resolutions, arguing the city is simply illustrating the financial consequences of the vote. However, some legal experts and residents suggest the proposal may violate Ohio election bribery laws by offering valuable consideration to induce a specific voting outcome. The Council is scheduled to vote on the resolutions on October 15.