Box Elder Attorney Blocks Referendum on $100B Data Center, Denying Voters a Say
Updated
Updated · Salt Lake Tribune · May 28
Box Elder Attorney Blocks Referendum on $100B Data Center, Denying Voters a Say
3 articles · Updated · Salt Lake Tribune · May 28
Box Elder County Attorney Stephen R. Hadfield ruled the referendum application over the proposed data center is not legally referable, shutting voters out of a direct countywide vote.
The determination means opponents cannot use the referendum process to challenge the project, though the decision leaves open the possibility of a lawsuit.
Around 150 people attended a public forum on the proposal at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds in Tremonton on May 26, underscoring local interest in the project.
The ruling sharpens the fight over a massive planned development that now appears more likely to be contested in court than at the ballot box.
With a public vote blocked, what legal path remains for residents to challenge the world's largest data center?
When does a county's 'administrative' act become too impactful for voters to be denied a referendum?