Commissioners from Douglas County, Colorado, have recently approved $19 million in tax rebates for a data center over 35 years. The decision was incredibly controversial, with both locals and Colorado residents online criticizing the commission for not looking out for the interests of its own people.
As reported by Denver7, commissioners unanimously approved a business personal property tax (BPPT) rebate for a Parker data center located in the county, which is expected to generate 16 jobs. Shortly before the decision, multiple commissioners, such as Abe Laydon, expressed dislike for the property tax, saying it “impedes business,” which was presented as the motivation for the rebate.
However, as reported by the outlet, multiple citizens and local organizations came forward to protest against the rebate during the commission’s latest meeting. Local residents accused the commission of “charging everybody else in this county” for the data center and shared concerns about water, electricity, and noise.
Colorado Reacts to Data Center Receiving Tax Rebates
Locals were furious upon discovering that the commission had decided in favor of the rebate while discussing the news on Reddit’s r/Colorado.
One of them said: “The right-wing Douglas County commissioners disagree ideologically with the business personal property tax (BPPT) as a form of taxation and simply gave away tens of millions of dollars of public money. There was no actual rationale provided, such as job creation. They just put their hand in the public’s pocket and gave it to a corporation.”
Others also complained about the decision: “I don’t think the issue here is whether it’s an AI datacenter or not. (…) The fundamental issue is a $19 million tax break for a facility that will provide negligible economic benefit. It’s that simple, and it is that black and white.”
Some folks were also concerned about how a data center could be bad for the county: “It’s not just water; Colorado has an energy deficit. The increase in data centers will drive up the cost of living as utility prices increase for electricity. People who support data centers and AI in general are traitors; it’s literal domestic terrorism.”
Amid the outrage, however, one user responded with sarcasm: “Guys, it’s expected to create 16 jobs over 35 years! Our troubles are over, man!”
Whether the tax rebate ultimately delivers on its promised benefits remains to be seen. For now, however, many Colorado residents believe the project has only deepened their distrust of local officials.
