NORTH STAFFORD, Va. – A local community group concerned about the rapid spread of data centers in Stafford County is inviting residents to learn more at a public meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Porter Branch Library, 2001 Parkway Blvd., Stafford.
The meeting, hosted by Protect Stafford, comes at a time when communities across Virginia are questioning the true costs and benefits of data center expansion. Just last week, Manassas city officials learned a bank tenant inside a data center managed to sidestep millions of dollars in expected local tax payments, leaving a gap in the city’s budget and raising red flags for other localities facing similar projects.
Protect Stafford hopes to get ahead of those concerns by educating residents about recent data center approvals in Stafford County, including the Stafford Technology Campus, a 504-acre site planned for 23 buildings and six substations, and Amazon’s Potomac Church Tech Center, which includes two buildings and a $7 million investment in local infrastructure.
Group founder Erin Sanzero says the meeting will explain how these projects could reshape Stafford’s land use, environment, energy grid, and tax base. Dominion Energy has already announced rate hikes averaging $252 per year by 2027, driven in part by the infrastructure needed to power these massive facilities.
Sanzero warns that without community involvement, Stafford could face similar budget surprises as Manassas, where promised data center revenues are now in doubt. She emphasized that Protect Stafford is not anti-growth but wants to ensure residents have a voice in how these projects move forward.
The meeting is free and open to the public. More details are available at protectstafford.com.
We’re Going Live on Facebook the Next Day to Dig Even Deeper
The conversation continues the next day on Facebook Live as we look at what happened in Manassas and what it means for Virginia’s future. As we first reported, a bank leased computer servers at the newly built data center. Now, the city will lose millions of anticipated tax revenue, as the bank is exempt from paying specific taxes.
Join us LIVE at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, as we sit down with city leaders to unpack:
- How Manassas lost millions in expected data center taxes
- What does it mean for future city budgets and services
- Statewide implications for communities like Stafford
- Possible policy or zoning changes to prevent future loopholes
? Save the date and watch live on Facebook at 3 p.m. on Wednesday!
Catch up on the full story before the broadcast:
City officials caught off guard as bank tenant sidesteps millions in data center taxes
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