Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas Interim President and CEO Lyle Butler is urging Emporians to vote against 2 ballot questions designed to halt data centers and battery storage systems for at least a decade.
In a letter submitted to KVOE News, and referencing Questions 2 and 3 on the Emporia ballot next month, Lyle Butler says “economic development by referendum is bad policy.” He also says Emporia may not be among finalists for investment or expansion “if it earns a reputation for deciding projects at the ballot box.” In addition, Butler says Emporia has understood the connection between growth and community vitality for years, adding “we owe it to those who built Emporia — and those who follow — to remain open to responsible growth.”
Butler’s letter follows an op-ed piece from retired US Army Colonel and former Emporia State Director of Facilities Bill McKernan, urging residents to consider supporting data centers because of what he considers as their status as critical infrastructure supporting daily activities in a range of economic sectors while also bringing “investment, tax revenue, technological leadership and long-term economic opportunities” to Emporia.
*Click here for a link to McKernan’s op-ed.
Statement from Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas Interim President and CEO Lyle Butler
Vote No on Questions 2 and 3
With my more than 30 years in economic development and experience with over $1 billion in projects across Kansas, I urge Emporia voters to vote no on Questions 2 and 3. Banning data centers and battery storage would chill investment in Emporia and Lyon County for the next decade.
Communities compete for jobs and capital. New and expanding businesses seek places that are welcoming, stable, and willing to judge proposals on their merits. These ballot measures would signal that Emporia closes the door before weighing a project’s facts, safeguards, and benefits. Local economic development leaders and employers have warned that the broad referendum language could remove Emporia from consideration from other new investment and expansions of existing businesses—not just data centers.
Economic development by referendum is bad policy. Complex proposals deserve consistent, site-specific review—not a blanket vote that eliminates future options. Site selectors notice how communities respond to investment. If Emporia earns a reputation for deciding projects at the ballot box, it may not make the short list for investment or expansion, and we may never know which opportunities passed us by.
Growth sustains community vitality. Jobs and families support small businesses, restaurants, retail, entertainment, and other amenities. They also strengthen school enrollment, public services, and the donors, volunteers, and corporate partners our nonprofits rely on.
Emporia has long understood this connection. In the 1950s, the visionary members of the Committee of 50 risked their own money and business interests for Emporia’s future. Their leadership helped make our community a place that recruited industry and created opportunity, as generations of major employers have demonstrated. We can require transparency, responsible siting, enforceable standards, and protections for water, energy, safety, and neighboring property without shutting out investment. A decade-long barrier risks stagnation that would harm businesses, schools,
infrastructure, and nonprofits across the region.
We owe it to those who built Emporia—and those who will follow—to remain open to responsible growth. If a proposal falls short of community expectations, we can renegotiate or reject it. We should not reject a decade of opportunity in advance. For our workers, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and shared future, please vote no on Questions 2 and 3.
Lyle Butler
President
Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, Inc. (RDA)
