Edgerton KS suit to void data center ban petition
Edgerton, KS — City Suit to Void Citizen-Initiated Ordinance Banning High-Impact Data Centers (Johnson County District Court, 2026)
Edgerton, KS · City of Edgerton v. Schmidt et al., Johnson County (KS) District Court (filed Aug. 2026)
- Status
- Blocked / in litigation
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Edgerton, KS (if adopted)
- Enforced by
- City of Edgerton, KS; Johnson County District Court
Edgerton, Kansas residents gathered enough valid signatures for a citizen-initiated ordinance that would ban high-impact data centers in the city. Under state law the city had to either adopt the ordinance or put it to a public vote. On July 23, 2026 the City Council declined to adopt it and voted to sue instead. The city then asked Johnson County District Court to declare the petition void, arguing it is legally and factually deficient. The ban is not in effect, and no election has been set.
Who is protected: Edgerton, KS residents (if the ordinance is ultimately adopted)
Legal detail
Citizen initiative (K.S.A. 12-3013 process) to prohibit high-impact data centers. Signatures certified by Johnson County Election Office. Council declined adoption July 23, 2026 and authorized suit. Declaratory judgment action filed early Aug. 2026, Johnson County District Court, City of Edgerton v. Carrie Schmidt, Kimberly Twente, Public Trust Collective, Inc., et al. City's arguments: false factual statements, references to nonexistent agreements, provisions on water/electric service control, selective targeting of data centers. NOT ESTABLISHED: case number, exact filing date, ordinance thresholds.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Edgerton, KS |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | City of Edgerton v. Schmidt et al., Johnson County (KS) District Court (filed Aug. 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Edgerton calls citizen petition void, invalid; files suit to block data center ban — KCTV5 (Aug. 14, 2026) |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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