Independence Voters Recall Council Member After $6B AI Data-Center Tax-Break Vote

Independence, Missouri, voters recalled City Councilmember John Perkins after his vote for tax breaks tied to Nebius’s proposed AI data center. Nearly 70% of his district supported removal, according to unofficial Jackson County results.

The incentive vote became the issue

In March, Perkins was one of five council members who voted for more than $6 billion in tax breaks for Nebius. The planned Independence facility was described as a $150 billion AI data-center project.

Opposition was already visible at the council meeting: more than 50 community members attended and spoke before the tax breaks passed. A local Sunrise Movement chapter also organized a letter-writing campaign urging residents to oppose the incentives and stop the project.

Perkins defended the vote

Before the recall, Perkins wrote that voters should judge his full record and said he stood by the data-center decision. He argued that disagreement with the vote was not grounds to overturn an election held two years earlier. He had not responded to NBC News’ request for comment on the recall when it published.

A new pause leaves Nebius outside its scope

Independence has approved a temporary 180-day moratorium on new data-center and battery energy storage system applications, permits and licenses. The city says it is a pause, not a ban, intended to allow a review of current rules and potential updates.

The restriction does not halt Nebius’s project because it had already been submitted to, authorized or approved by the city. The review covers zoning, building, fire, business licensing, development and public-safety considerations for future facilities.

A local result in a national campaign issue

NBC News characterized opposition to data centers as an issue influencing candidates and races nationwide ahead of the November midterms. Independence adds a concrete example: three officials who backed this incentive package subsequently lost elections, while the project itself remains outside the city’s current moratorium.