Madison County leaders should say no to data centers. Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson, the Granite City City Council, Madison County Executive Chris Slusser and the Madison County Board have the power to reject the proposals in front of them and turn away new ones.

Developers have floated plans for two sites along the Route 3 industrial corridor in Granite City, plus another in nearby Pontoon Beach. At a public forum in February, residents raised serious worries about higher utility bills, harm to the environment and a lack of openness from local officials.

Those transparency concerns run deep. Some residents accuse city leaders of discussing a possible land sale with America’s Central Port before telling the public, a claim Mayor Parkinson disputes. Months before the community meetings, Parkinson and Slusser were among area leaders who toured a Google data center on a trip paid for by Greater St. Louis Inc., and they were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements first.

Heather Groetecke, a lifelong Granite City resident, said officials never answered her questions about environmental hazards, so she started gathering signatures. She had never been involved in politics and doesn’t enjoy it. “But I don’t want a data center,” she told St. Louis Public Radio.

In November, voters in Chouteau, Granite City, Nameoki and Venice townships will weigh in. The measure is only advisory, so even a strong no vote won’t block a project by itself. That’s why city and county leaders need to act.

City officials say the Granite City project is tabled for now. But tabled isn’t the same as stopped. Sign the petition to tell Madison County leaders to keep data centers out for good.