A data center developer in De Soto, Kansas, is offering every household up to $1,000 a year. But many neighbors say what the town really needs is something money can’t buy: straight answers.

Digital Realty plans to build a hyperscale data center on 300 acres at Astra Enterprise Park, with construction expected to begin in 2027. Just down the road, Beale Infrastructure has already started building its own data center campus. Now Digital Realty has announced a $20 million fund that would give each De Soto household a yearly credit of up to $1,000 for 10 years, to help with property taxes or utility bills.

Residents who have spoken out against both projects say their biggest questions are still unanswered. How will the data centers affect electric and water bills? What will they mean for De Soto over the long run? “It’s a bribe, is what it looks like,” neighbor Toni Caldwell told KSHB 41. Another neighbor, Sara VanDeCreek, told the station she believes the offer was timed to land just before the company seeks tax incentives.

A cash credit is no substitute for transparency. The De Soto City Council is expected to hold a public hearing on Nov. 19 on a tax increment financing (TIF) district for Digital Realty. Before approving any tax breaks, the council and Mayor Rick Walker should require both developers to publicly share independent estimates of their projects’ water use, power demand, and impact on household utility rates, and give residents a real chance to respond.

Whether people in De Soto support these data centers or oppose them, every family deserves the facts before the city makes a decision that will shape the town for decades.

Sign the petition to tell the De Soto City Council: answers first, incentives later, before the Nov. 19 hearing.