ASHVILLE, Ohio — In a decisive rebuke of village leadership’s agreement with data center developer EdgeConneX, Ashville residents voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to repeal Resolution 06-2026, effectively striking down the development framework for a proposed $100+ million data center complex.
With all four village precincts fully reported, 81.65% (1,468 votes) voted “NO” to repeal the council resolution, while just 18.35% (330 votes) voted “YES” to uphold it.
Because of the unique legal structure of an Ohio municipal referendum, a “No” vote repeals the approved measure, while a “Yes” vote would have affirmed the council’s negotiated terms.
A High-Stakes Battle Over Local Approval
The proposed EdgeConneX project called for constructing two large data center buildings alongside an on-site natural gas power-generating facility across roughly 195 acres.
The path to Tuesday’s election followed months of legal wrangling and community activism:
- Emergency Clause Pushback: Ashville Village Council originally attempted to pass Resolution 06-2026 under an emergency clause, a legislative move designed to bypass the standard 30-day waiting period and prevent a citizen referendum.
- Ohio Supreme Court Mandamus: Local grass-roots advocates with Pickaway Strong Advocacy collected 669 verified signatures to force the measure onto the ballot. After municipal officials blocked the certification, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a unanimous writ of mandamus on August 7, 2026 (State ex rel. McNamara-Smith v. Grube), ruling that council failed to provide valid emergency justifications and ordering the issue placed on the November 3 ballot.
- Late Financial Contributions: Weeks prior to the vote, the Village of Ashville announced it had accepted a $3.5 million donation from EdgeConneX for local park improvements, wastewater upgrades, and sewer system engineering. However, the influx of funds failed to alter community skepticism over utility demands, power generation, and local land use.
Community Impact & Next Steps
Tuesday’s landslide vote completely invalidates Resolution 06-2026’s terms, including provisions that would have exempted the EdgeConneX project from the village’s active data center development moratorium.
The outcome marks one of the most high-profile instances in Ohio of grass-roots voters using a municipal referendum to defeat a major technology infrastructure project at the ballot box.
