Microsoft Data Center Annexation Proceeds After Petition Fails
Microsoft will proceed with its data center project in Cheyenne after a petition to force a public referendum on land annexation failed to meet legal requirements.
The annexation of 3,460 acres for a new Microsoft data center in southeast Cheyenne will proceed as planned following the failure of a public petition. The Cheyenne City Clerk's Office determined that a petition intended to force a public referendum on the land acquisition did not meet the state law requirement of signatures from 10 percent of registered voters within city limits.
Although opponents gathered 3,291 signatures, the City Clerk's Office deemed only 1,796 of them valid. The remaining entries were excluded because they were illegible, belonged to unregistered voters, or were signed by non-residents, including individuals residing in Laramie County outside city limits. The legal threshold for the referendum was 2,740 signatures.
Because the petition failed to reach the required number of valid signatures, the annexation previously approved by the Cheyenne City Council remains in effect, clearing the way for the corporate entity to move forward with its data center project.
