Bulloch County Commissioners met Tuesday night to discuss an extension on the moratorium of data centers, but took it one step further to direct staff to draft a zoning amendment ordinance prohibiting data centers altogether.
The meeting opened with a public hearing on the extension of the moratorium until December 31, 2026. On February 17, 2026, the Board of Commissioners approved a resolution imposing a 90-day moratorium on the permitting of data centers in unincorporated Bulloch County. The purpose of the moratorium initially and in its extension was to allow time to “conduct comprehensive research and evaluation to determine if data centers should be prohibited or allowed in unincorporated Bulloch County and, if allowed, whether they should be subject to certain supplemental standards and to enact any necessary ordinance amendments.”
Public Comments
Frank Bedell – Spoke in opposition of data centers. Said his answer is “N-O” because it feels as though the county has taken a financial hit in recent years with lots of unanswered questions.
“A projected deficit and a possible rate increase – why are we studying data centers when we should be stopping the bleeding?” He lamented that they add few local jobs, there is infrastructure strain, and a demand for that to be paid from somewhere. “First spend, explain later, taxpayers cover the difference. That’s not sustainable… This is not protection, just a pause. No data centers ever.”
Molly Nagy – Thanked commissioners for taking the time to step back and look at what data centers involve. Said she supports the moratorium. Was more optimistic because she thought they were exploring making it more difficult (more expensive) for a company to come to Bulloch. Said she is concerned about the perceived mentality that ‘data centers will be a necessary part of life.’ She also addressed the water crisis because local and state governments are telling people to conserve water while trying to attract big water consumers. She said she supports a longer moratorium beyond the holidays. “This is happening so fast, there will be a chance to know more in a year about what exactly is happening to our country,” she said before urging commissioners to hear from an expert on the closed-loop system. “I think we’re looking at the biggest poisoning of our wells in history.”
Frank Davis – “We all need more data and data centers. That’s the bottom line.” He said there’s no universal definition of data center, but Georgia has 195 data centers and is 5th in the nation. He said with the right structure
He said one of the biggest issues is the Non-Disclosure agreements between developers and local governments, but he doesn’t think that would do well in Bulloch County. He also said the data center should bear the entire cost for all infrastructure. “Increased water usage, yes, but it is less square footage wise than Hyundai.” He also talked about noise mitigation and land competition, saying the county’s draft is very good.
“Potential to significant revenue for the county, but we must weigh economic benefits…”before adding that it can be done in a way to benefit Bulloch County. He did express support for extending the moratorium through the end of the year.
Molly Nagy – Thanked commissioners for taking the time to step back and look at what data centers involve. Said she supports the moratorium. Was more optimistic because she thought they were exploring making it more difficult (more expensive) for a company to come to Bulloch. Said she is concerned about the perceived mentality that ‘data centers will be a necessary part of life.’ She also addressed the water crisis because local and state governments are telling people to conserve water while trying to attract big water consumers. She said she supports a longer moratorium beyond the holidays. “This is happening so fast, there will be a chance to know more in a year about what exactly is happening to our country,” she said before urging commissioners to hear from an expert on the closed-loop system. “I think we’re looking at the biggest poisoning of our wells in history.”
John Smith – 40-year resident and small business owner with a business near the airport. Said he just found out about it yesterday and is in the process of learning about the centers. He said he was shown a map near 301 North near his business, but said there’s very little information about it on the county website or anywhere else. “I came to get information but haven’t really learned much of anything other than how people feel about it.” He urged commissioners to put more information out for the public and not just on Facebook.
DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONERS:
Commissioner Toby Conner said he received several calls over the last three weeks.
“This resolution is fine and all and it will prolong it and we can do some more studying on it and eat up more time with James having to put another load on his plate to deal with. The general conception is with all this, first of all, we don’t have a footprint in Bulloch County to house one of these things. There’s not one. It’s kind of like a landfill. If everybody thought it was a good idea, they thought it was a good idea not to be by their house, so, it’s the general conception. We’ve been forced into things before and nobody’s forcing our hand on this one. I don’t think we should go on with a moratorium at all, I just think we should put a flat ‘no’ on it and be done with this. Now I’ll put that in a motion when everybody else gets done talking if you want me to.”
County Attorney Jeff Akins added that if commissioners don’t want to allow data centers at all, it may require an amendment to the zoning ordinance. “We’re going to need to study that a little more carefully, I mean you could make the argument that they’re not allowed now under the zoning ordinance, but I don’t think we need to decide that tonight. If you want to extend the moratorium, that would be the time to study that as well.”
Though the expiration date is listed in the draft resolution included in the commission packet, Commissioner Anthony Simmons asked how long they would need to extend it. Akins told him it would be extended to the end of 2026 unless the zoning ordinance is otherwise amended.
Simmons replied, “That’s a long time.”
Commissioner Nick Newkirk asked how long it would take just to say ‘no’ to the data centers and amend the zoning amendment as desired.
Akins said commissioners couldn’t just vote to state that, but did not answer Newkirk’s question about how long that would take.
Planning & Zoning Director James Pope answered that the time from an application for a zoning amendment to commissioner adoption is usually about two months.
Akins also added that while the zoning ordinance doesn’t address data centers currently, there is a provision for cryptocurrency mining centers, which he says are a type of data centers. “So that’s going to have to be addressed. All I’m saying is, I think the moratorium, I think you’re going to want to extend it based on what I’m hearing because we’re going to have to look at the zoning ordinance one way or another.”
Commissioner Conner asked if it could be done before the next meeting and County Manager Chris Eldridge said it has to go through the Planning Commission before it can be considered by county commissioners.
Chairman David Bennett said the issue was brought to the forefront because of what’s happening in other communities. He told fellow commissioners that he didn’t want a company to show up to Bulloch County wanting to institute a data center without any type of Planning & Zoning procedures “to protect the people that are already here.”
“The intent was not to try to sneak in a data center. And I will tell you officially on the record yet again that Bulloch County has not had any kind of discussion with the development authority or otherwise with anyone about putting a data center in Bulloch County. The intent here was to look at what’s coming on the horizon and be strategic and try to figure out ‘what can we do now to be proactive so that when this is sitting at our door, we don’t have our backs against the wall.”
He said that data centers aren’t the boogey man they’re made out to be on social media, but if a developer wants to buy 150 acres of land, they will make that land worth $20 billion in a county where schools and roads are full with few jobs added but a substantial taxable value.
Bennett said he’s not currently for or against data centers and added that he was voted in to look at both sides of every issue and that’s what he’s trying to do. He, Commissioner Simmons, and county staff are going to look at a data center in another county.
Commissioner Ray Davis said he wanted to bring up three points:
- Electricity – It’s hard enough to tell people what they can do with rezone, but with eminent domain that’s a very difficult situation.
- Water – Once you pull the water out of the aquifer, you can’t put it back.
- Money – Is the money it would bring in worth it?
Commissioner Conner said he doesn’t want to go until the end of the year. County Attorney Jeff Akins said the moratorium could be lifted sooner if the zoning amendment is made. “This is just giving you time,” Akins said.
Commissioner Newkirk asked if they could extend the moratorium as stated in the resolution and then get to work immediately on what Conner discussed with the prohibition in the zoning ordinance. Akins answered they could if it was the consensus of the Board.
Chairman Bennett suggested making a motion on the moratorium and then making a second motion to pursue the zoning amendment changes, if necessary.
“I have a feeling this is the same way the Hyundai plant got started,” Conner said before making a motion to extend the moratorium through December 31, 2026. Davis seconded the motion and the motion passed 5-0.
Commissioner Conner then asked Pope to prepare the amendment to prohibit data centers as soon as possible. County Manager Chris Eldridge said they need a majority of commissioners to vote to direct staff to pursue the change to the zoning ordinance, prompting Newkirk to make the motion to begin the process, which was seconded by Conner. The motion was approved 5-0.
Commissioner Timmy Rushing was not present.
Note: Any such changes would not impact data center placement within the city limits of any municipality.
