The Data Center Divide
A policy snapshot ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mapping data center incentives, restrictions, and bans through legislation, regulations, and executive actions across all 50 states and 1,462 local jurisdictions.
City of Port Washington
Neutral Data Center Policies
Port Washington requires voter approval for certain future large tax-increment districts, potentially making financing for projects using this support less certain; the rule does not affect the existing data-center district.
current law · Future qualifying TIDsOut of scope: this is a general TIF referendum ordinance, not a data-center-specific law.City of Port Washington Ordinance Requiring Referendum Approval for Certain Tax Incremental Financing Districts
What this means
Analytical assessment: the referendum requirement for future large TIDs could add financing uncertainty for future projects seeking TIF support. This is out of scope for the data-center-specific inventory: it does not specifically name data centers and does not affect the existing data-center TID.
People behind it
- Great Lakes Neighbors United
Community group that celebrated the referendum’s passage and intervened in the case.
- Christine Le Jeune
Spokesperson and founding member.
- Susan Westerbeke
City Clerk who certified the petition.
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- Port Washington Common Council
Voted to submit the petition for referendum.
- Ted Neitzke
Port Washington Mayor.
- Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
One of the groups that sued to block the ordinance.
- Judge Adam Gerol
Judge whose oral ruling ordered the case dismissed.
- Vantage Data Centers
Developer associated with the data-center TID; that TID is unaffected.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements1
General financing restriction, not a data-center-specific provision: qualifying TIDs cannot be created, adopted or approved unless first approved by a majority of the electors. This adds a public-vote step for future large development incentives.
Sources
Data provided by Regbase · Cookie preferences · Report missing data