A vote to stop the construction of new data centers in Pulaski County has been retracted.
Quorum Court members had voted on an emergency ordinance to pause new data center construction for one year in a meeting Tuesday. On Thursday, a news release said County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth counted the vote total incorrectly.
Ten votes were needed for passage. Little Rock Public Radio counted eight votes in favor, five votes against and two votes of “present.” At the meeting, Hollingsworth said she counted ten votes in favor, four votes against and one “present” vote.
“Clerk Hollingsworth sincerely apologizes for this mistake and any confusion it may have caused,” the release reads.
This announcement comes after public backlash to proposed data centers across the country and Arkansas. A protest outside the Pulaski County Administration Building preceded Tuesday's Quorum Court meeting, which lasted over four hours. Members of the public offered testimony and asked questions before the votes were taken.
Residents worry the data center could increase the cost of electricity or contaminate water as happened to residents near a Georgia data center. They also shared concerns about the perceived lack of transparency between the Quorum Court and the community.
Meanwhile, the Little Rock City Board of Directors plans to vote on data center regulations at their next meeting Tuesday. A possible Google data center is proposed for construction at the Port of Little Rock — another, by the company AVAIO Digital Partners, is planned near Wrightsville.
Both projects were exempted from Tuesday's emergency ordinance.
