2 September 2026

Missouri councilman voted out over data center tax breaks

• A Missouri city councilman lost his reelection after supporting billions in tax breaks for data center companies.
• Voters rejected the tax incentives despite data center construction spending increasing sharply in July.
• Opposition to data center tax breaks crosses party lines, suggesting public concern about lost tax revenue.

How it was covered

The AlgorithmMIT Technology Review

Voters opposed billions in tax breaks the councilman helped approve for data centers. Data center projects face bipartisan public opposition despite construction spending surging in July.