Microsoft has bought 600 acres outside Woodward, Iowa, to build a data center campus. Residents only learned about the deal at a public meeting on October 12, four days after the sale closed. The Woodward City Council and Mayor Todd Folkerts have the power to stop this project before a single building goes up.

At least 300 people packed that meeting. When residents asked if they would get a say through a vote, Mayor Folkerts answered “No,” according to the Des Moines Register. For a project this large, that answer left many people feeling shut out of a decision that will shape their town for decades.

Microsoft says it has not started designing the campus and cannot yet say what mechanical systems it will use. That leaves Woodward families without answers about water use, power demand, noise, and traffic, even though the land has already changed hands.

The process has moved fast from the start. In June 2026, the council rezoned the land from agricultural use to a business park and skipped the extra readings an ordinance normally gets. Months later, the sale was done before residents heard a word about it.

Microsoft expects design work alone to take two to three years. That gives city leaders time to act. The Woodward City Council should reverse the June rezoning, deny any permits or site plans for the data center, and give residents a real voice before anything moves forward.

Sign the petition to tell Mayor Folkerts and the Woodward City Council to stop the Microsoft data center while there is still time.