PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — As work begins on a controversial $15 billion data center campus North of the city's downtown, Port Washington residents have filed paperwork to recall Mayor Ted Neitzke, citing their opposition and voicing concerns about transparency in the approval process.
Sebastian Elischer, a Port Washington resident, filed the recall paperwork on behalf of Great Lakes Neighbors United, a group opposing the data center project due to environmental and community impact concerns.
"We believe the people should have the last word in a business deal that we believe to be shrouded in mystery," Elischer said. "We're not going to deny it's a challenge, but it's in the hands of the voters."
As of last Friday, construction is underway on the campus, according to Mayor Neitzke. During a public comment period during Tuesday's Common Council meeting, a representative from Vantage Data Centers, the company building the data center for Oracle and Open AI, said 4,000 people are expected to work on its construction, many of them local union jobs.
The recall effort faces significant hurdles. Organizers must collect signatures equal to 25 percent of ballots cast in the city during the 2022 gubernatorial election — roughly 1,600 signatures from city residents — within the next 60 days.
Watch: Port Washington residents launch effort to recall mayor over $15B data center
Mayor Neitzke responds to recall effort
Mayor Neizke's current term expires in spring 2027. In a multi-page statement sent to TMJ4 News and posted on the city's Facebook page, the mayor emphasized positive contributions to the community and said the recall effort is rooted in misinformation.
"Much of the rhetoric currently surrounding this recall is rooted in misinformation rather than the complex facts of municipal governance. Port Washington deserves strategic leadership that builds up, not a movement that seeks only to obstruct without offering an alternative plan for our city's fiscal or structural needs."
You can read the mayor's full statement here.
Previous petition on TID's heads to the April 2026 ballot
The same group, Great Lakes Neighbors United, previously successfully circulated a petition requiring voter approval for future large tax increment districts, similar to the one created for the data center project.
Tuesday night, the Common Council directed that proposal to the April 2026 ballot, after multiple members of the council expressed concern about its feasibility and potential liability concerns for the city. If approved by voters, the ordinance would only impact future TID's that have not yet been created.
Great Lakes Neighbors United has been vocal in its opposition to the data center for months, with the group's spokesperson Christine Le Jeune cited for disorderly conduct during the city's last council meeting.
"It isn't about me. It's about First Amendment rights and the right of the people to make a decision," Le Jeune said Tuesday.
Opposition to data center continues at Common Council meeting
Tuesday's Common Council meeting likewise drew large crowds, with overflow attendees directed to an alternate viewing location. As they have for months, several neighbors spoke in opposition to the data center, arguing the city didn't loop in residents early enough and that their voices aren't being heard.
TMJ4 has been covering neighbors' concerns and public meetings related to the data center campus since the beginning of the year.
That includes concerns over water usage, power generation and costs incurred by residents as a result. Leaders continue to stress the necessity of reducing the city's current 80 percent property tax burden for homeowners.
Tuesday night, multiple council members argued that the $15 billion data center investment and subsequent property taxes paid will help the city drastically lower that burden and set the city up for long-term financial success.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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