After voting for Independence data center, council member faces recall election next week

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.

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First District Council Member John Perkins wasn’t alone in voting to approve the Nebius hyperscale AI data factory in Independence’s Little Blue Valley, but he will be the only member of the Independence City Council facing a recall election next Tuesday over his support for billions in tax breaks in approving the controversial project.

Perkins was among a majority of the Independence City Council who voted in March to support the tax breaks for the 400-acre Nebius facility being built at Little Blue Parkway and Missouri 78 Highway.

RELATED | Independence officials charged up for Dutch AI company's project

Now, signs are scattered in yards across Independence's 1st District, urging neighbors to support or vote out Perkins, who said he’s trying not to take it personally.

"I'm just approaching it as if it's an election," Perkins said.

That means knocking on doors to make his case, sending mailers and passing out yard signs. But he isn’t the only one pounding the pavement.

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McKenna Cobb, a local organizer for the recall petition, said opposition to the data center vote drove the initial effort.

"A lot of people are still very upset about that decision that was made by our council ... and a lot of it's made people sit back and reflect on other things that are going on in our district: bridges out of order, infrastructure issues," Cobb said.

RELATED | Recall organizer: Never been an ‘I hate John Perkins’ petition

Perkins also has his supporters, including 1st District resident Patti Zern. She voted Monday against the recall effort and said she was surprised it had come this far.

"I was very shocked at this — very, very shocked," Zern said. "... He's done a lot of good things for our district. One thing recently is the sidewalks for Mill Creek School. I've lived out there for 37 years. My children walked to school. Now, they've got sidewalks going up and down Liberty.”

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That’s among the efforts Perkins pointed to among a range of accomplishments in the district.

"[The] Englewood [Arts District] is blooming, the [Historic Independence] Square is coming around," Perkins said. "Old Town Fairmont is having its third phase of the 24 Highway Complete Streets, on top of trying to work into the neighborhoods.”

He also pointed to the council’s work in recent years to support raises for police officers and build new fire stations as signs of progress he's proud of.

Perkins said he doesn't regret the data center vote.

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"I still stand behind the vote that I took," he said. "It was the right thing to do. After looking at it holistically and putting all the parts, the pieces together, it was still the right thing to do. This is part of economic development for the city of Independence and for the future of Independence."

Nebius received a 90% abatement, which amounts to roughly $6 billion, and will pay approximately $650 million in PILOT fees over the next 20 years.

RELATED | Independence bets on Nebius data center to bolster tax revenue, restore services

But Cobb said the recall effort has been rooted in community engagement.

"A lot of this has just been fueled by engaging in civil civic conversation with people about how they feel, what they want to see for the city, and what their expectations are for the people leading it," Cobb said.

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And she believes it’s making a difference.

"We feel like what we're doing matters and has made an impact now and, hopefully, for future decisions that are made for the city," Cobb said.

Because Perkins is an in-district council member, only District 1 voters will decide his fate. The district includes most of northeast Independence, west of 291 and north of 23rd Street.

If you are among the roughly 14,250 registered voters in District 1, be sure to check your polling location before heading out to vote.

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The Jackson County Election Board will operate three polling locations for this special election — Maywood Baptist Church, 10505 E. Winner Road; Mid-Continent Public Library’s North Independence Branch, 317 W. U.S. 24; and the Roger T. Sermon Community Center, 201 N. Dodgion St.

Voting locations may be different from where voters cast ballots in the Aug. 4 primary when the election board had District 1 voters spread across nine sites, including Abraham Mallinson Elementary and Van Horn and William Chrisman high schools.

The consolidation to three sites prevents school disruptions, addresses staffing concerns and saves money, though the election board said the special election will cost Independence taxpayers $164,400.

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Two other Independence council members who voted for the Nebius project — Councilman Jared Fears, who was running for reelection, and Councilwoman Bridget McCandless, who was running for mayor — lost April election bids amid sharp backlash over the data center's approval.

The approval was the subject of a failed lawsuit to put the project to a vote and is the subject of another lawsuit from nearby residents alleging a range of municipal violations they argue should halt the project.

Independence passed a 180-day moratorium on new data center projects in July to assess zoning requirements and the future of such projects in the city.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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