Voters in one Wisconsin lakeside city have sent a message to Big Tech's AI ambitions in a first-of-its-kind referendum. Residents of Port Washington, a Milwaukee suburb that's already slated to host a $15 billion OpenAI-Oracle data center campus backed by the Trump administration, approved a ballot measure Tuesday that sharply limits future projects of its kind, with unofficial results showing roughly a 2-to-1 margin, Politico reports. The referendum doesn't touch the existing "Stargate" campus under development, but it would require any future projects seeking major local tax breaks to first win voter approval.
The ordinance was proposed by Great Lakes Neighbors United, a grassroots group that opposed the Stargate project, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. "Tonight, democracy worked the way it's supposed to," said founding member Christine Le Jeune. "The people deserve a seat at the table when their tax dollars are on the line." Michael Beaster, another founding member, said: "We are not against development. We are for development that the community understands, supports, and has chosen together."
Supporters say it's a new playbook for communities worried about water use, noise, transparency, and energy demand tied to AI infrastructure. Business groups and the city's mayor opposed the measure, arguing it could chill broader development; a regional chamber has already sued to block it, claiming it violates state law. Similar battles are coming: voters in parts of California, Michigan, and another Wisconsin city are slated to weigh in on data center limits later this year.
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