Montgomery County residents deserve transparency, accountability, and a real voice in decisions that will shape our community for generations.

County officials have approved a massive, roughly 1,000-acre Amazon data center project near New Florence, alongside tax incentives opponents say could approach nearly $1 billion. Now, a lawsuit filed on behalf of Preserve Montgomery County alleges that these approvals happened without proper public notice, that closed-door meetings were held, and that non-disclosure agreements limited what the public could learn about the project.

Major decisions involving vast amounts of land, water, electricity, and taxpayer-backed incentives must be handled openly and lawfully.

Many residents are deeply concerned about how a project of this scale could harm Montgomery County public utility costs and the environment . Others question whether the long-term benefits truly outweigh the costs. These are legitimate debates that deserve full transparency — not rushed approvals or restricted access to information.

The Montgomery County Commission — including Presiding Commissioner Ryan Poston and fellow commissioners — has the responsibility to ensure that all legal requirements are followed and that residents are fully informed. The Missouri Department of Economic Development also has an obligation to review whether the terms of its $5 million grant agreement have been upheld.

This petition calls on the Montgomery County Commission to pause further action on the Amazon data center until an independent review confirms full compliance with Missouri’s open meetings and open records laws. We also urge the Missouri Department of Economic Development to carefully evaluate whether state grant conditions were properly met before allowing any additional public funds to be used.

Montgomery County deserves development decisions that are transparent, lawful, and truly in the public interest.