The Champaign County Board did something remarkable last night. It voted unanimously to ban its own members from signing NDAs on county business. That is a powerful statement in an era where secrecy often gets mistaken for strategic thinking. You can read the full ordinance yourself, but the intent is clear. Public servants should not be legally gagged from talking about the public’s business.
Republican John Farney from District 3 championed this rule. He told me his reasoning was straightforward. “Public government should be doing things out in the public,” Farney said. “You need to be transparent about it.” This move is not about blocking all confidentiality. It explicitly allows for it in standard legal settlements or with genuinely confidential information. Its target is the misuse of NDAs to shroud ordinary government actions in silence.
This push for sunlight did not happen in a vacuum. It follows a messy situation in nearby Mahomet. There, village officials signed an NDA with a data center company called Clean Cloud Energy. Public backlash was swift and severe. Talks with the company collapsed. That episode clearly resonated in Champaign County chambers. The board is already wary of data centers. Earlier this year, they passed a moratorium blocking such development on county-owned land until 2027.
Last night, they went a step further. In a related but separate vote, the board passed a resolution. It bans tax abatements for hyperscale data centers. “What this resolution says is that for the county’s portion of property taxes, we will not negotiate over data centers,” Farney explained. This means any data center firm coming to Champaign County will pay the full property tax rate. They will not get a special discount from the county. This aligns with a growing national reconsideration of these lucrative tax breaks.
The board’s composition also shifted last night. They appointed Michael J. Smith, a Republican, to fill the District 1 seat. He replaces Jeff Wilson, who retired to run for Congress. Smith is not a career politician. He told the News-Gazette he simply cares deeply about local issues. His vote will now count on matters of transparency and development.
Taken together, these actions send a signal. Champaign County is setting a higher bar for how it operates. Banning NDAs for board members is a direct rejection of closed-door governance. Refusing tax abatements for a specific industry shows a commitment to fiscal equity. These are not minor procedural tweaks. They are foundational choices about power, information, and who gets a fair deal. Other local governments would do well to watch. The people of Champaign County just got a louder voice in their own affairs.
- Unanimous vote to ban NDAs
- Champion for transparency: John Farney
- Focus on fiscal equity
- Moratorium on data centers until 2027
- Recent appointment of Michael J. Smith
- Commitment to open governance
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Ban NDAs | Banned members from signing NDAs on county business |
| Tax Abatement Resolution | Banned tax abatements for hyperscale data centers |
| New Appointment | Michael J. Smith appointed to District 1 |
| Moratorium on Data Centers | Blocks development on county-owned land until 2027 |
| Focus on Transparency | Public servants encouraged to discuss county business |
| Response to Public Backlash | Actions taken in wake of NDA scandal in Mahomet |
