Oklahoma city council members welcomed a Google data center. Now they face a recall.

Key Points:

• Sand Springs, Oklahoma, faces a recall campaign against its entire City Council and Mayor Jim Spoon following approval of Google's Project Spring, a large AI data center planned on 827 acres of farmland recently annexed into the city.
• Opponents argue the city concealed details about the project, particularly the rezoning of agricultural land to industrial use, sparking concerns about environmental impact, property values, and quality of life, while supporters emphasize job creation and tax revenue.
• Similar recall efforts targeting officials over data center developments have emerged in other U.S. communities, though none have yet reached ballots; Sand Springs activists aim to gather enough signatures by March 31 to force a vote.
• Lawsuits have been filed challenging the legality of the annexation and zoning changes, with some local landowners and conservation groups opposing the project on legal and environmental grounds.
• City officials and some residents defend the project for its economic benefits, while others criticize the handling of community engagement, highlighting tensions and divisions within the close-knit community.