Scott County VA Democrats
Scott County, Virginia - Advocacy
Data Center Hearing
- Letter to Kingsport Times News September 2026 -
To the Editor
The announcement of the Scott County Planning Commission’s public hearing on Monday,
September 14 at 6 PM in the Community Services Building in Gate City sounds run-of-the-mill
and bureaucratic. It is not run of the mill. The issue sounds pretty harmless – adding the words
“data centers” to language in the County Zoning Ordinance that the public pays no attention to
anyway. It is not harmless. These words are the harbinger of huge changes happening in
communities across the nation that will change our lives and those of our children and
grandchildren. Maybe for the better. Maybe for the worse. There are potential implications
for our water supply, our farmland, our air quality, our power bills and our quality of life.
The devil will be in the details. We need to understand and help shape those details.
Data centers already consume huge amounts of power – more than can be supplied by the
existing power grid throughout Virginia and in much of the nation. And with Artificial
Intelligence, the need for power will grow exponentially. So it is no coincidence that Rep.
Griffith has recently announced a $1.4 million grant to support “Utilization of Former Mine
Lands for the Deployment of Advanced Nuclear” in Wise County. Whatever your view may be of
the use of Advanced Nuclear, pro or con, we can all agree that the placement of nuclear
facilities near our communities requires full study and disclosure to the public well in advance
of any such deployment (or even study), as well as public input.
If you have a mobile device, a computer, a tablet, you use data. You need data centers. But ask
yourself if you trust your local government to be fully transparent and accountable to the public
as data center companies seek taxpayer-funded incentives from localities -- and as localities
seek short term job and revenue gains at the risk of long-term, permanent effects for our
natural resources. It’s time to sit up and pay attention. Come to the hearing. Ask questions.
We owe it to our future.
FOIA Request
To Our Community
Earlier this year, Take Action Scott County, a volunteer organization of local concerned citizens, submitted a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Scott County Sheriff's Office seeking complete transparency regarding its relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We have reviewed the response recently received by Take Action SC and believe these records should be made public.
As Democrats, we believe a truly safe community relies on absolute trust between all residents and the agencies sworn to protect them. When local police and sheriffs entangle their daily duties with federal immigration enforcement, it creates a chilling effect that deters marginalized community members from reporting crimes or seeking emergency assistance. We believe everyone in Scott County deserves to live safely and without fear, regardless of their background or immigration status.
The citizens of Scott County have a right to know exactly which agency the Scott County Sheriff's Office has made a contractual agreement to assist, in what ways, and what benefit, if any, is to be derived by the County from a formal contract such as the one that exists between our Sheriff's Department and ICE.
Transparency is only the first step, however; accountability must follow. We invite you to read the full response and review the complete documents for yourself at the link provided below. Understanding these practices empowers us as a community to ensure our local institutions are upholding our shared values of justice, equity, and inclusion.
We hope Take Action Scott County will continue to monitor these policies and advocate for a local justice system that serves everyone equally, and we pledge to assist them in disseminating information of value to the public.
Thank you for your continued dedication to building a stronger, safer Scott County for all.
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