Opponents of a massive 600-acre data center campus in Marana say they have dumped roughly 2,800 signatures apiece on the town clerk’s desk in a bid to force a public vote on the town council’s rezoning decision. If the clerk validates the signatures, the petitions would place the council’s January approval, which rezoned two adjacent roughly 300-acre parcels, directly in the hands of Marana voters.
The No Desert Data Center Coalition and Arizonans for Responsible Development, a group backed by labor organization Worker Power, filed serial-number referendum petitions with the town clerk and report submitting about 2,800 signatures for each rezoning challenge. Town staff have a short window to verify the packets, according to Axios. Petitioners say they aim to overturn the council’s rezoning vote and send the question to the ballot.
Rezoning, the Developer and the Land
In early January, the Marana Town Council voted unanimously to rezone two parcels along North Luckett Road, together about 600 acres, to clear the way for a hyperscale data center campus. Councilmember Herb Kai recused himself from the vote because his family owns one of the sites, according to AZPM. Beale Infrastructure is the developer tied to the proposal, and public filings say Tucson Electric Power and Trico Electric would serve the sites at buildout.
How the Referendum Process Works
The petitions are serial-number referendum forms that need roughly 1,360 valid signatures each to qualify for the ballot. Before certification, the town clerk must verify that signers are eligible residents and that the signatures themselves are valid, KGUN 9 reports. If the clerk certifies the petitions, the Town Council decides when the question will appear on the ballot.
State Policy and the Bigger Picture
The Marana clash is unfolding as state leaders weigh new rules for the data center industry. Gov. Katie Hobbs’ FY2027 budget proposal would end Arizona’s decade-old data center tax exemption and create a data center water-usage fee to help fund a Colorado River Protection Fund, according to the governor’s office. The state has pitched the plan as a way to make data centers “pay their fair share” as the industry matures.
The Marana fight is also unfolding alongside other legal and regulatory disputes in southern Arizona. The state attorney general has requested a rehearing of a Tucson Electric Power energy agreement tied to the larger Project Blue data center effort, a separate case that shows how power and water deals can quickly turn into legal flashpoints, Western Water reports. Together, those battles have left local officials and residents more cautious about large hyperscale proposals.
Could Marana Become a Template?
Political consultants say what is happening in Marana could be an early test run for a broader strategy to take data center fights straight to the ballot box. “Data centers will have to assume opposition and potential referral if council action needs to be taken,” one consultant told Axios. That possibility may influence how cities weigh and site future data center projects.
Why Organizers Think They Have a Shot
Organizers say they have three key advantages in Marana. The town’s small size means a relatively low signature threshold, groups like Worker Power bring existing referendum experience, and the rezoning vote happened recently, all of which combined to speed up their petition drive, Copper Courier reports. Together, those factors make Marana one of the places where a citizen referendum on data center rezoning is realistically within reach.
What Comes Next
Town staff will now comb through the filings and let petitioners know whether they have met the statutory threshold. If the clerk certifies the petitions, the council will decide when to send the question to voters, town officials told KGUN 9. If that happens, both sides are expected to shift quickly into campaign mode, with an eye on how the outcome could shape the way Arizona communities handle similar proposals down the line.
Regardless of how the signature check plays out, the Marana push shows how a local land-use fight can be pulled into a wider debate through organizing and state policy shifts. For now, the town clerk’s review will determine whether voters get the final word on a project that has already sparked months of argument over water, power and growth.
