John Wahl, the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor of Alabama in 2026, is calling for tighter safeguards, more transparency and stronger local control over major data center developments after the Lowndes County Commission approved a 20-year tax abatement for the Nvidia-backed Project Red Clay in the closing minutes of a meeting with residents still waiting to speak.
The commission holds a special called meeting Tuesday on the project.
The abatement passed on a 3-2 vote on October 13. Wahl’s campaign, citing publicly circulated project documents, puts the value of the state and local abatements at an estimated $2.79 billion over 20 years.
“Government exists to serve the people, not the other way around,” Wahl said. “When decisions are being made that impact families, private property, and entire communities, the citizens who live there deserve to have their voices heard. And when billions of dollars in potential tax revenue are on the table, taxpayers deserve complete transparency and accountability.”
Commissioner Robert Harris made the motion to approve the abatement, The Lowndes Signal reported.
Minutes earlier, the commission had voted unanimously to put the proposal on Tuesday’s special meeting agenda. Residents in the gallery tried to speak before the vote, and Chairman Charlie King Jr. asked them to let the commission finish its business in the 15 minutes remaining before the circuit court needed the courtroom. He adjourned the meeting after the vote was recorded. Harris lost his May primary and leaves the commission after the November election.
RELATED: Billboards go up in opposition to Lowndes County data center
Wahl said Alabama should keep welcoming new business and investment while holding development projects to safeguards that protect local communities and taxpayers.
“I believe in economic development, but I also believe in responsible government,” Wahl said. “Anytime taxpayer resources are involved, there should be greater oversight, greater transparency, and clear accountability for how those resources are being used. Tax incentives should never be a blank check, and economic development should never come at the expense of the citizens we are elected to represent.”
Wahl also called for protections on where data centers are sited, including consideration of surrounding residential areas, private property rights, water and power infrastructure and the long-term impact on local communities.
Project Red Clay is planned on more than 1,000 acres at U.S. Highway 80 and Alabama Highway 21 in Burkville, roughly half a mile from a campsite on the Selma-to-Montgomery march route.
Yellowhammer News first reported on the project in April. A petition against it passed 1,000 signatures in May in a county of 9,359 people. The eventual tenant of the data center has never been named.
“These decisions should be made with the people, not for the people,” Wahl said. “Local communities deserve a meaningful voice in determining what development looks like in their own backyard. We should be empowering local citizens and their elected representatives, not allowing government bureaucrats or outside interests to dictate the future of their communities.”
A law Governor Kay Ivey signed in April cuts the standard maximum data center abatement from 30 years to 20 for deals granted on or after January 1, 2027.
Lowndes County, where 25% of residents live in poverty, qualifies for a waiver as an economically struggling county.
“As Lieutenant Governor, I will work to ensure Alabama remains a leader in economic development while protecting the rights of our citizens and demanding accountability from government,” Wahl said.
“We can welcome investment, protect taxpayers, and respect local communities at the same time. At the end of the day, government should answer to the people, not the other way around.”
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
