The Jackson City Council met twice on Monday to debate the future of data centers in the city.
For over two hours, council members heard from the city attorney, the planning department director, the county economic developer and Jackson residents.
The Economic and Development Committee on Monday afternoon discussed a regulatory framework for data centers and the City Council at an evening meeting introduced a temporary moratorium that if passed would stop all data center development until regulations are passed.
This follows a June meeting where the council made it clear that no data centers would move forward in Jackson without regulations.
While a developer is interested in potentially bringing a data center to the city, the project is far from a sure thing. Council members have said that they want to be proactive when it comes to regulating the industry.
Nationwide, data centers have become a hot-button political issue from small towns to Congress. There are six large data center projects underway in Mississippi and economic developers across the state have said that there are developers looking to build more.
At the Economic and Development Committee meeting, Jackson City Attorney Drew Martin presented a draft of an ordinance change that incorporates feedback from council members and residents from a recent public hearing. Martin was clear that the document is still a work in progress and said that whether the changes are enacted or even introduced depends on city officials.
The draft currently includes definitions, zoning laws and opportunities for council review. Council President Brian Grizzell said it would take time for the body to vote on any new ordinances.
Ward 1 City Councilman Ashby Foote offers his opinion on data center development in Jackson during a City Council meeting held at City Hall, Monday, July 6, 2026. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi TodayWard 7 Council Member Kevin Parkinson asked Hinds County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Hunter Gardner whether a data center moratorium would kill any potential project.
Gardner told the council that data center developers are primarily concerned with energy availability, speed and minimizing risk. He added that a data center moratorium could indicate to businesses that there would be extra hurdles to overcome and might dissuade some.
“I think they’re a lot less dangerous than some people perceive when they’re properly permitted and properly located,” Ward 1 Council Member Ashby Foote said.
In May, Foote wrote an opinion column about data centers and how they could bring “gushers of ad valorem tax receipts that will last for decades.” Jackson has struggled for years with a declining tax base as its population has shrunk. This year’s city revenue is falling short of what was budgeted.
Economic development for Jackson?
The debate around data centers has also become a conversation about economic development in Jackson. Residents and officials asked why the city has not seen large business projects as other cities have grown and seen private investment.
Tina Clay said that she wants development besides a data center that would bring “jobs and revenue and taxes.” Other council members said they want to see more grocery stores in the city.
Gardner, who has been in the job for about a year, said that it is “critical that we have positive economic development in Jackson.” He stressed the need to have a long-term plan and promised to engage with the council.
Jackson residents weigh in on six-month moratorium
Council President Brian Grizzell clarified at the beginning of the packed evening meeting that the council is only discussing a moratorium and not changes to the city’s zoning ordinance.
Grizzell proposed a six-month data center moratorium just as the city Planning Commission was considering an application to rezone land for a potential data center in northwest Jackson. The application by the New Jersey-based developer is being delayed until the city finalizes regulations.
The application was met with swift community pushback. A slew of community meetings have been held where residents have overwhelmingly expressed concern about the environmental and health impact of a data center in Jackson, especially whether a data center would strain Jackson’s water system and other utilities.
Many of the same concerns were reiterated at Monday’s meeting with some calling for a permanent ban on data centers and others for more evidence based research to be done on the topic.
“Ideally, the council would ban development and expansion of data centers. But in lieu of that, a temporary moratorium is vital,” Jackson resident Jackie Warren Tatum said.
Jackson is not the first city to enact local rules governing data centers. Clarksdale rezoned a property with conditional uses for a data center as part of its approval. Clinton and Ridgeland recently amended their zoning ordinances to regulate data centers after construction on such projects had begun within the cities.
Grizzell said that it was important to “have the regulations in place to make sure that we maintain a sustainable city and also protect the lives of Jacksonians.”
The six-month moratorium will be considered at the next regular city council meeting on July 14, at 10 A.M.
Hence then, the article about jackson city council debates data center regulations considers moratorium was published today ( ) and is available on Mississippi Today ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Jackson City Council debates data center regulations, considers moratorium )
Also on site :
- Man Notices Small Lump on Knee, Then Faces Life-Saving Decision
- Legendary Music Icon Surprises Fans With a Jaw-Dropping Announcement 30 Years in the Making
- Walmart’s ‘Stunning’ $20 Celestial Birthstone Necklace Is a Subtle Way to Try Out the Whimsigoth Trend