r/StrongTowns

Probably obvious to everyone here but it only clicked for me recently.

My district went from 11 elementary schools to 8, around 2016. The entire pitch was buildings. Boiler replacements, roofs, deferred maintenance. All of that was real, I’m not saying it wasn’t. Transportation never came up once. Now the walk zones are basically gone, kids who used to walk are on a bus, and the routes are longer because the remaining schools are further apart.

The part I genuinely didn’t see coming is the one kid per van stuff. Kids going to programs outside the district, kids with medical or disability needs a regular bus can’t take, kids whose family moved but who have the right to finish the year at their original school. Each one of those is its own vehicle and its own driver, and it’s the part of the line that keeps growing.

So we sold a building and bought a fleet.

Has anyone here actually got transportation costs modeled into a closure decision before the vote rather than after?

To the Members of this Community,

I am writing to address the unsustainable expansion of data centers in our region and the direct threat they pose to our municipal infrastructure. Recent severe weather and natural disasters have already proven how fragile our local electrical grid is, leaving many residents entirely without power during critical emergencies. Despite these clear vulnerabilities, our local government continues to approve and fund massive data center projects.

As tax-paying citizens, we should have a direct say in these decisions. Our hard-earned tax dollars are currently being used to fund and subsidize corporate projects that threaten to run our community dry. Our elected leaders have a fundamental duty to prioritize the safety and well-being of local residents over corporate interests. We must collectively demand that our city council halts all further investments in these facilities and focuses instead on community resilience.

Key Points of Concern

Taxpayer Funding Misplaced: Our tax dollars should be directed toward grid modernization, public safety, and direct disaster relief for residents—not used to subsidize infrastructure for multibillion-dollar technology firms.

Threat to Essential Water Supplies:
Data centers consume millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. Diverting this massive volume from our municipal supply directly threatens the very water we rely on to drink, cook, and shower in.

Severe Grid Vulnerability: Data centers require an immense, continuous supply of electricity 24/7. Introducing this massive baseline load to an already fragile system directly compromises grid stability, increasing the risk of prolonged blackouts for residential neighborhoods during climate crises.

Negligible Public Benefit: These facilities occupy vast areas of valuable land and consume unprecedented amounts of local resources, yet they remain highly automated and create almost no permanent jobs for local residents after construction is complete.

It Only Takes an Email to Show We Mean Business

Decisions regarding land zoning, public utilities, and technology park approvals happen entirely at the municipal level. Our local officials hold the power to stop these projects, and it does not require a massive time commitment to make an impact. All it takes is sending a quick email or showing up at a meeting to let them know we mean business, we are paying close attention, and we are watching how they vote.

Please take action today using the template provided in the comments below to force our leaders to prioritize the community:

Contact Your Representatives Today:
Copy the formal template provided in the comments below and email it to your mayor and city council members. State clearly that as a taxpayer, you oppose any further investments or permits for data center projects.

Speak at City Council Meetings: Show up to upcoming public forums to voice your concerns. A visible community presence proves to local representatives that their constituents are organized and paying attention.

Spread the Word: Share this post with your neighbors, local family members, and community groups. Public awareness is our strongest tool to build pressure.

Demand Transparency and Accountability: Insist that the city council halts all pending proposals until an independent, transparent audit is conducted on our grid's actual capacity and our water supply's long-term sustainability.

Our city’s infrastructure belongs to the people who pay for it and rely on it to survive. Please take a few minutes today to contact your local leaders, attend the next meeting, and demand they put our community first.

A lot of these government buildings could either add height or reduce parking if they are in neighborhoods where people want to live.

Was thinking about the difference between a post office in a building versus a standalone post office with a lot of parking. Certainly depends on the community it is serving.

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