Cherryvale has been shrinking for twenty years. Census counts put us at 2,386 people in 2000 and an estimated 2,093 in 2025. In our ZIP code, employer businesses fell from 62 in 2005 to 50 in 2023, and jobs fell from 793 to 574. USD 447's full-time enrollment dropped from about 898 students in 2015 to about 675 in 2024, and Kansas school funding follows enrollment.

A data center has been proposed at the Cherryvale Industrial Park. At today's city mill levy, a $500 million facility inside city limits would add about $6.2 million a year in city property tax if it isn't abated. For comparison, the city's entire general-fund property tax ask in the 2024 budget was about $420,000. The developer estimates about $8 million a year to the city from property tax, use tax, and water sales.

We the undersigned support the proposed data center and ask the City Council to:

1. Move forward with a preliminary agreement with the developer.
2. Hold a public hearing before any final approval, so residents can see the terms, including any tax abatement, water use, and power arrangements.
3. Make sure any agreement protects existing water and utility customers.

Cherryvale needs new investment and a stronger tax base. We ask the council to give this project a fair, public review.

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Please sign this petition to support hosting a public hearing for the proposed Cherryvale data center. Your voice counts in shaping the future of our community.