Heath residents are making a third run at putting a data center ban before voters, with organizers preparing to submit a new petition that carries far more signatures than their previous attempts.
The group, working with Conserve Ohio, has collected around 410 signatures in recent weeks — well above the roughly 210 needed to trigger a special election, a threshold set at 10 percent of the voters who cast ballots in the city's November 2025 general election. Organizers plan to present the petition to the city by Oct. 19 and are still collecting names.
At issue is a proposed charter amendment that would ban data centers using at least 23 megawatts of power per month, a level residents say strains local water supplies and electrical infrastructure. Supporters remain worried about the short- and long-term impacts large computing facilities could have on the city.
The effort has had a rocky path. The city rejected the first round of petitions in September, which together carried 276 signatures, because the initial 180-signature filing fell below the threshold and organizers tried to combine it with a second petition — something city officials said state law prohibits after a petition is filed in a public office.Both sides missed a Sept. 4 deadline to place the question on the November ballot, so a verified petition would force a special election that could cost the city $10,000 or more, according to the Licking County Board of Elections.Both sides missed a Sept. 4 deadline to place the question on the November ballot, so a verified petition would force a special election that could cost the city $10,000 or more, according to the Licking County Board of Elections.
Both sides missed a Sept. 4 deadline to place the question on the November ballot, so a verified petition would force a special election that could cost the city $10,000 or more, according to the Licking County Board of Elections.
"Everyone wants to sign it," Conserve Ohio volunteer Brandyn Bernard told The Advocate, noting organizers keep having to explain why they are circulating the petition for a third time.
— NewsForce Staff