Independence Voters Decide on City Council, Nebius Project

0:00It's March 28th. This is Kansas News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. Independence voters head to the polls on April 7th to pick two at large city council seats from four candidates. Incompan Jared Fears faces former council member Lucy Young, Army Reserve vet Cody Atkinson and lifelong resident Jackie Dorman, a real estate agent. They all weighed in on the hot button, Nebius Data Center project, a massive build promising thousands of construction jobs and its own power plant. The project snagged a 90% property tax break, but backers say payments in lieu of taxes will pump 30 to 50 million dollars a year. Into the city's general fund and infrastructure plus another 30 million for schools. It uses way less water than older data centers, recycles it in a closed loop, and commits to union jobs and native plants for wildlife. Critics worry about risks to taxpayers if promises fall short.

1:00Most candidates back it. Fears for the over 100 million in annual revenue and citizen protections. Young for fixing streets and parks after, expert vetting, Atkinson of contracts hold firm. Dorman opposes the sweet deal for the foreign firm, calling for more public say amid resident struggles. On funding windfalls, they prioritize public safety staffing, road repairs, debt payoff on old deals like Bass Pro, bus routes and parks. To five population dip, low incomes, empty shops and housing shortages, ideas ranged from small business boosts and job training to tearing down. Blight and chasing industrial growth. With industrial booms like Nebius and North Point on deck, these picks could reshape Independence's budget and vibe mark your calendars for April. And get that ballot in.