Residents in Hazle Township have received offer letters since June. While some view the $10,000 as useful, few are eager to accept the payout. The Wall Street Journal reports that the offer is viewed by many as a bribe. The township’s median income is $60,000, which some residents feel makes the offer insulting. The developer is also dangling a larger carrot of up to $120 million over 15 years for community and local services investments, such as improved schools and emergency services. This direct cash payment to residents represents a new phase in developer charm offensives, following a raucous public meeting last year where angry locals asked what they had to gain.

The Hazle Township government rejected the data centre project on zoning grounds last year and has enacted a temporary moratorium on data centre construction. The concerns raised by residents include noise pollution, water and energy cost worries, and a dislike of AI. The source notes that opinion polling can often be inaccurate, as what people say and what they do, voting-wise, does not always line up.