LINCOLN COUNTY—Three Lincoln County commissioners are facing potential recall elections after voting against a proposed six-month moratorium on new data center developments. The moratorium, supported by many residents, was intended to give the county time to develop regulations addressing concerns over water use, electricity demand, and land development. Commissioners Kent Weems and Micaela Wuehler voted in favor of the moratorium, while Commissioners Joseph Hewgley, Christopher Bruns, and Jerry Woodruff voted against it, prompting recall petitions.

County officials argued that drafting regulations without a moratorium would allow the county to move more quickly and avoid limiting its regulatory options. Commissioner Joseph Hewgley said his vote was procedural and intended to accelerate the development of meaningful regulations while still protecting the county's natural resources. Petitioners must collect more than 2,900 signatures across the affected districts to trigger recall elections, which, due to state election laws, are not expected to take place until January 2027.

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