CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A group of Chesapeake neighbors has started a petition urging city council candidates to publicly disclose their positions on data centers before early voting begins in September.
Five seats on Chesapeake City Council will be on the November ballot. Three incumbents will face challenges from 13 other candidates in the at-large race. Neighbor and environmentalist Jeff Staples created the petition, which has gathered about 300 signatures so far.
"If they're going to vote against the data centers, we want to know who we should vote for. If people want to vote for data centers, then they should know who they should vote for," Staples said.
Last month, Chesapeake City Council voted to delay any recommendations or consideration of data center applications for eight months.
Watch previous coverage: Chesapeake City Council votes to pause any data center decisions for 8 months
Linda Tindell, who lives on a farm in the Grassfield area, is one of the petition's signers. She said she has concerns about what data center development could mean for the community and especially the environment her animals live in.
"I'm concerned about the loss of drainage, the loss of farmland, and just the environment. If I'm gonna vote for them, I want to know how they're gonna vote on this," Tindell said.
According to state law, candidates are not required to disclose their position on certain topics prior to an election. However, Staples said 6 of the 16 candidates have voluntarily shared their stance on data centers.
Chesapeake reporter Erin Holly asked Staples why he believes candidates should share their positions even though it is not required.
"This is about transparency in politics. Good, honest, transparent politics is what we're asking for," Staples said.
Early voting starts Sept. 18.
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