BOC MEETING SPEECH
June 23, 2026 — Paulding County Board of Commissioners

Good evening, Commissioners, and fellow citizens.

I understand you're in a difficult position, trying to balance responsible growth in one of Georgia's fastest-growing counties. However, I'm deeply concerned about the direction that growth is taking — especially with data centers.

I want to continue the concerns I raised two weeks ago.

There are several critical reasons why Paulding County should not approve data centers at this time.

First, our community has had no meaningful say in these proposals.

Second, no one has answered what these massive 500–1,000 acre data centers are really for. It's not just to power "the cloud." Do we really want to live under 24/7 AI-driven monitoring and surveillance? Do we want cameras on every corner and the risk of digital financial systems that could be restricted based on what we say or buy? Are we willing to contribute to that kind of future?

Third, the technology itself is changing rapidly. NVIDIA's compact supercomputers, like the DGX Spark, and emerging mini and distributed AI systems are already making massive hyperscale data centers less necessary. These powerful units are now available to individuals for as little as $299. The market is showing clear signs of overbuilding.

Just look at China: after a massive infrastructure boom, 70% to 80% of newly built AI and computing capacity sits idle or severely underutilized, with many facilities running at only 20–30% capacity.

Closer to home, the City of Cartersville in Bartow County is already feeling the strain. After approving a major Switch data center, the City Council recently passed utility rate hikes — including roughly a 5% increase in water and sewer rates for residents and businesses — to cover the infrastructure costs and demands created by these large users. That burden falls directly on families and small businesses.

Commissioners, why open Pandora's box? Approving these projects now risks turning parts of Paulding into future stranded industrial sites and exposing the county to expensive lawsuits and long-term utility strains.

May I remind some of the Commissioners what their campaign pledges were?

Chairman Tim Estes, during your campaign you said: "My sincerest commitment to you is this: I will always prioritize honoring and serving the people of Paulding County FIRST. I'll be YOUR Commission Chairman. Period."

Commissioner Dean Schneider stated: "I'm willing to say 'no' to a developer. I'm willing to say 'not now' to a builder. I've never run for office before, and I have no desire to run for higher office. I have no hidden agenda. This is about protecting our community."

You represent us — the people of Paulding County — not distant billion-dollar corporations. We should be protecting our countryside, our remaining family farms, and the quality of life we all value.

I'm also very concerned about the clear-cutting being approved for subdivisions. I urge you to stop granting variances that weaken natural buffers. These waivers allow large developers to remove every tree and pack as many houses as possible onto each lot. We must protect our remaining tree canopy and rural character instead of sacrificing it for maximum density housing.

Let's put people and community first, not short-term corporate profits. Thank you for your time. I pray you will choose to keep Paulding the special place we all love.