# Ohio town forces data centers to keep their promises > Perry's Issue 16 requires data centers to post bonds guaranteeing tax revenue, offering a model for communities wary of broken promises. - Title: Ohio town forces data centers to keep their promises · Vox - Summary: Perry's Issue 16 requires data centers to post bonds guaranteeing tax revenue, offering a model for communities wary of broken promises. - Keywords: perry ohio, data centers, issue 16, tax abatement, bonds, ai infrastructure, john nicely, province group, perry nuclear power plant, election 2026, local government, Vox - Source: Vox — https://vox.com/future-perfect/509247/ohio-data-centers-ai-election-perry-tax-breaks - Author: Sara Herschander - Published: 2026-11-05T11:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: perry ohio, data centers, issue 16, tax abatement, bonds, ai infrastructure, john nicely, province group, perry nuclear power plant, election 2026, local government, news ## Data centers lose across America More than forty data center measures appeared on ballots on Election Day. Data centers lost all but one of them, often by dramatic margins. ## Perry's different approach While most measures ban data centers outright, Perry's Issue 16 does something novel: it forces data centers to keep their promises to the town. ## What Issue 16 requires Any data center accepting a tax abatement or subsidy in Perry must take out a bond guaranteeing the village receives promised tax revenue and jobs. ## Perry votes overwhelmingly yes Issue 16 received eighty-seven percent of Perry's support after months of sign-posting, petition drives, and village hall meetings led by John Nicely. > I was absolutely choked up as the results poured in. ## Perry's nuclear power plant legacy When the Perry Nuclear Power Plant opened in the nineteen eighties, it brought hundreds of well-paying jobs and tax revenue for luxury public facilities. ## Meta and the power plant deal Earlier this year, the plant's operator inked deals with Meta and the US Department of Energy to greatly expand its capacity for data centers. ## Province Group's secret dealings In April, developer Province Group showed up in Perry after making secret deals with local policymakers. Residents were livid at the lack of transparency. ## The initial bad deal Province Group proposed a seventy-five percent tax exemption for fifteen years, promising over three hundred twenty million dollars in tax revenue over three decades. ## Why fifteen years is too long Nicely, a former business spin doctor, saw the problem immediately: fifteen years is a long time to wait, and data centers rarely commit to long-term hiring. ## Ohio's corruption history In two thousand nineteen, Ohio passed HB six, a billion-dollar bailout for energy developments. It was later revealed as part of the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history. ## Larry Householder's prison sentence Ohio's former House Speaker Larry Householder was sent to federal prison for two decades in connection with the HB six bribery scandal. ## Policymakers lost credibility Many policymakers involved in HB six have spent years rolling out red carpet for data center developers with subsidies and tax breaks, losing public trust. > They have no credibility on this issue. ## Council rejects initial proposal Amid resident outrage, Perry's village council struck down Province Group's initial tax abatement request in July, putting the project in limbo. ## How bonds protect communities If a developer applies for a tax abatement in Perry again, they must take out insurance on their promises, protecting the town if projected revenue never materializes. ## Other states use similar bonds Georgia and Texas have required projects to take out bonds guaranteeing local benefits materialize for developments receiving large subsidies or tax breaks. ## Kasia Tarczynska on accountability Good Jobs First analyst Tarczynska said initiatives like Issue 16 show communities understand what they're giving up and that corporations often promise but never deliver. > Initiatives like this really show that people are innovative and smart. ## Perry's urgent infrastructure needs Perry's newest fire truck is a decade old and ambulances need replacement. The town needs economic development but on terms that actually benefit residents. ## Nicely's message to developers Nicely told developers: come as business partners, offer something up front, invest in the community. If you won't, go away and let someone else try. > If you want to be business partners then come in as business partners. ## Key takeaway Perry, Ohio passed Issue 16, requiring data centers to post bonds guaranteeing promised tax revenue and jobs, offering a blueprint as Americans overwhelmingly reject data center expansion.