{"id":17698,"date":"2026-06-24T08:55:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=17698"},"modified":"2026-06-24T08:55:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:55:26","slug":"cheyenne-oks-huge-microsoft-annexation-rejects-50m-community-benefits-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/cheyenne-oks-huge-microsoft-annexation-rejects-50m-community-benefits-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheyenne OK\u2019s Huge Microsoft Annexation, Rejects $50M Community Benefits Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I think our city council is captured and doing the bidding of big tech. And it’s all lies that there will be a lot of local jobs, as Cheyenne is too small and a lot of workers and contractors come from out of state. The HVAC system in my home was installed by a company out of Fort Collins, Colorado, before we bought the place, who split a drain pipe with the cement pad in the crawl space I had to correct later (I don’t care for Colorado contractors). And these companies aren’t loyal, as I believe with all these data centers we’ll see a lot of H1-B visa holders added to our community popping up in our local businesses, effectively cheap slave labor for the megacorps… And my assertion is backed by them wanting to build a 5,600 man camp<\/a> for construction workers south of the city which would have had strip malls, restaurants, cheap rental properties and a RV campground. And we already have a lot of hotels which they also want to expand for out of state workers. These captured council critters are ruining the wonderful small city of Cheyenne (surveillance Flock ALPR cameras everywhere<\/a>), and I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of Colorado developers and contractors are behind it and them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2026\/06\/23\/cheyenne-oks-huge-microsoft-annexation-rejects-50m-community-benefits-deal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
Cheyenne\u2019s City Council moved a massive 3,500-acre data center annexation closer to approval Monday night, rejecting an effort to secure a $50 million community benefits agreement that Mayor Patrick Collins recently described as “extortion.”<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

By Ren\u00e9e Jean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Microsoft\u2019s
Microsoft\u2019s land-development manager Rachel Irwing said Microsoft is willing to work with the city in whatever way is beneficial for both the city and the company’s project. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft officials said the company is willing to talk about a $50 million community benefits agreement,<\/a> but after Monday night\u2019s Cheyenne City Council vote it won\u2019t be necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council voted to advance the annexation of a 3,500-acre tract of land into the city, but rejected the idea of a community benefits agreement on an 8-to-3 vote. Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins was absent from the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tract, roughly one-fifth the size of Cheyenne and adjacent to Microsoft\u2019s existing data centers, is envisioned as a long-term expansion site where it would build its facilities out over the next 10 to 20 years. Supporters have framed the move as key to jobs and the tax base, while opponents have said the city is giving up leverage and reshaping the community without locking in enough concrete benefits or fully understanding water, traffic and neighborhood impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councilman Larry Wolfe brought the amendment that sought the $50 million agreement, saying it was necessary because of the extraordinary scale of the annexation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wolfe\u2019s proposal outlined collecting $10 million annually for five years starting July 2027 to fund permanent improvements to Cheyenne. The agreement should also spell out an expectation, Wolfe has suggested, that Microsoft will use state-of-the-art technology to minimize water use, eliminate emissions, and set contractual guardrails on as many as 40 different items ranging from traffic and noise to wildlife and affordable housing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collins called the proposal for a $50 million community benefits agreement \u201cextortion\u201d the first time Wolfe mentioned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wolfe asked Microsoft executives whether there would be any harm in a four-month delay so the city could negotiate terms of the annexation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s land-development manager Rachel Irwing indicated the company is \u201cwilling to work with the city in whatever way is beneficial for both the city and this project\u201d and is \u201copen to discussions,\u201d but added the company does want to move forward on the project as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft spokesman Jonathan Noble, meanwhile, said that while the company\u2019s timeline for the development is 10 to 20 years, they don\u2019t plan to wait that long to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the reason why we\u2019re eager to really lay the groundwork, establish the rules, work with city staff, make sure that we are all clear on the investment that is going to require,\u201d Noble said. \u201cThat\u2019s investment by Microsoft in conjunction with the city, various other folks, to build out the sewer, water, power, etcetera, and to make sure we are shouldering that cost completely. That takes time to design. It also takes time to build. Our hope is to start building well before that 10-year mark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company could, Noble added, move forward under Laramie County, but felt it was better for the project and the community to proceed under the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councilman Pete Laybourn, meanwhile, wanted to know if the company had considered an annexation agreement similar to the one made for Sweetgrass, the only other comparably-sized property the city has annexed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noble said the company is not looking for any exemptions from the city\u2019s normal development processes, saying its existing structure has worked for the city and will work for Microsoft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth Isn\u2019t The Issue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Public comments on Monday underscored a divide over how \u2014 not whether \u2014 Cheyenne should grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some residents completely oppose growth, most said they want clearer evidence the city is grasping the pace of development and guiding it to an appropriate landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not here to oppose growth,\u201d long-time real estate broker Wendy Volk told the council. \u201cWyoming has always embraced innovation, entrepreneurship and opportunity. Economic development matters, and our state has a proud history of powering the nation through agriculture, mining and energy production.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even she finds the speed and scale of incoming industrial projects disconcerting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe we must ask some \u2026 broader questions about how we grow and who bears the cost,\u201d she said. \u201cWe experience (these projects) cumulatively. We experience increased demands on shared roads. We see growing demands on water systems, emergency services, housing and public infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key question, Volk added, is the character of southeastern Wyoming left for future generations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowth itself is not the issue,\u201d she said. \u201cThe issue is whether we have a long-term plan and whether growth is paying for its share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volk said it\u2019s fair for the community to ask companies that will benefit from the growth to be stronger partners in building out infrastructure and mitigating impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce the character of a community changes, it is difficult to restore,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m not asking for us to stop progress. I\u2019m asking for us to guide it wisely, with transparency, thoughtful planning, and a commitment to ensuring that growth strengthens our communities rather than placing new burdens upon them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Harmony Meadows resident Heather Madrid the lack of a defined plan ahead of approving the annexation is a red flag that says the city isn\u2019t doing it\u2019s job to mind the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe lack of a plan is not a legitimate reason to forgo any kind of annexation agreement,\u201d she said. \u201cIn fact it\u2019s quite the opposite. It\u2019s a reason to wait until Microsoft has some idea what they\u2019re doing here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madrid also questioned how the city can claim the annexation will benefit residents when there\u2019s been no examination of how much water will be used, how many backup generators will be necessary, and whether city services such as police, fire, and EMS will be reasonably available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without those details, the property is \u201cnot ready to be annexed, plain and simple,\u201d Madrid said, adding that \u201ccorporate philanthropy is not a substitute for proper planning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Centers Offer Hope For Future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Those speaking for the data center\u2019s annexation and against any postponement mostly came from building trade groups and from Microsoft itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rob Turse, business agent for Local 192, was among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe sooner we can get our local workers out to work on these projects, the sooner the middle class gets back to normal here in Cheyenne,\u201d he said. \u201cThe middle class has been … it’s been hurting for a long time here in Cheyenne. It’s been in decline. It really has.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple individuals talked about leaving volatile oil and gas or traveling construction jobs for steady data center work. That\u2019s allowed them to be home with their families and make a high enough wage to support them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kevin Banish talked about growing up in Cheyenne believing there would never be a career for him in Wyoming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, there\u2019s hundreds of people building technology centers right here in Cheyenne,\u201d he said. \u201cOver the last 13 years, I\u2019ve watched Microsoft\u2019s presence in our community grow from a few facilities into a major contributor to our local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beneficiaries are not buildings, he added, but the people who work there and are now able to make a living closer to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, students in Wyoming can look at careers in technology, engineering, construction, operations, networking, and skilled trades, and know that those careers exist right here at home,\u201d he said. \u201cThey no longer have to assume that opportunity only exists somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data centers have made that possible, and Cheyenne has become a recognized leader in the industry, Banish said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cApproving this land addition will continue that momentum and position our community for future investment, future jobs, and future opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a lifetime Wyoming resident and as someone who has worked in this industry since 2013, I believe this is a positive step in Cheyenne\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits Agreement Is Moratorium 2.0 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Councilwoman Kathy Emmons was among those who were displeased with Wolfe’s motion, which was supported by Laybourn and Councilman Mark Moody, who earlier proposed a moratorium on data center development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moody said Cheyenne needs to more carefully consider the impact of so many data centers built all at once in and around the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emmons said the community benefits agreement was just a new version of the proposed moratorium, which had already been voted down by the council after hours of testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe went through the whole process, we went through all the readings, we took all of the comment, we heard every single bit of it, we listened, we listened to both sides,\u201d Emmons said. “This council took a vote to deny the moratorium and to move forward. So here we are again, doing the very same thing, which I find incredibly disingenuous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A four-month postponement won\u2019t be productive, Emmons added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be in the very same situation, and we\u2019ll just keep doing it over and over,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s not OK for the community who we\u2019re supposed to be entrusted to represent. And it\u2019s not OK for the people who have put in so much hard work on this issue, and we keep dangling this carrot in front of them. So I would encourage my fellow council members to vote no on this amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councilman Jeff White said a community benefits agreement such as Wolfe proposed would set a bad precedent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes Microsoft have deep pockets?\u201d he said. \u201cYou bet, but just because they\u2019re a a multi-billion-dollar corporation doesn\u2019t mean we should be treating them differently. The owner of the property wants to engage in a lawful business transaction with a willing buyer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councilman Ken Esquibel suggested that those wanting to stop data centers have picked the wrong venue for their fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you really want to stop data centers, the building you need to go to is the one with a golden dome, about seven and a half blocks that way,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reason data centers come here is because of tax laws, the tax structure in Wyoming, that get set at the state legislative level.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey’re not coming here because the Cheyenne City Council has given them their golden ticket,\u201d he added. \u201cWe actually have the strictest regulations for data centers of any city in the country. That’s why they want to build in the city, as opposed to the county.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 3,500-Acre Annexation Is Different<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wolfe disagreed with the contention his motion was anything like a moratorium. That was a much longer delay, with broader consideration about data centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His proposal targets a specific data center project, looking at impacts to the city and addressing them, similar to the annexation agreement used for the Sweetgrass development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis comes to us with every single issue you can imagine in an annexation proceeding,\u201d Wolfe said. \u201cWhen this first arose .. I said we should treat this differently. We should treat this with the enormity and respect that it deserves. We didn\u2019t do that. We treated it with the same respect we treat a 2.7-acre annexation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wolfe acknowledged many people are on data-center information overload, given how many committees the matter has traveled through, but this is the first time it\u2019s arrived at a full council meeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are a host of issues that we should address with this,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve been trying to do that. But the biggest issue is that what is proposed here is trying to balance up the benefits with the detriments, the burdens that come from all of these projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s contention that the city will be its best partner for future projects is a telling detail, Wolfe suggested, that points to the city taking more time to think about what the annexation entails and the measures to be agreed upon before the council accepts it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019ve suggested is that we spend some time talking about what a partnership looks like,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd guess what, we have a perfect model from 2018, and I have it right here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wolfe was referring to the Sweetgrass annexation, which was Cheyenne\u2019s largest single land annexation. That agreement talks about a range of issues from zoning and traffic to dedication of land for parks and planned development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in all of our interests, members of the council, to postpone this,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s in all of our interests to lock up the mayor and the chief of staff and say go negotiate a strong agreement that deals with all of these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public Vs. Closed Doors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Emmons said agreements like Wolfe is seeking can still take place without any postponement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have those studies,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have to provide the studies through EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), through the county, through the city. They have to do those things in order to go forward anyway. I feel strongly we can proceed with this and still make sure that everything is done appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a process, Wolfe countered, that will happen behind \u201cclosed doors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo while yes, you\u2019re right that some of that work may be done, the reason you put it into an annexation agreement \u2014 and the reason they did it in the Sweetgrass annexation is that they\u2019re locked into it by contract \u2014 and that\u2019s what we need to do now,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we miss this opportunity to get an annexation agreement now, and define these issues and define their obligations … because remember, they want these things not in place now but 10 years from now, we better be awfully careful and awfully thoughtful. Because in 10 years from now who knows what the environmental constraints are going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laybourn argued that Cheyenne does have great needs that should be considered in light of the annexation, and suggested it\u2019s not extortion to expect some agreements up front that will cover economic impacts, especially given that the facilities do not go through the Industrial Siting Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe it’s a legitimate attempt, a good-faith attempt to look at something that’s never happened here before, and probably will never happen again,\u201d Laybourn said. \u201cAnd to try to make sure that right from the initiation of that annexation we have these conditions, and these conditions are serious, so I’m sorry that some individuals seem to believe that those of us that support this are obstructionists or unrealistic or trying to, I can’t imagine what our motivation could be. My motivation is to look at these facts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday\u2019s vote was the second of three required readings by the city council on the annexation. The council will still have to take a third and final vote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If approved on final reading, the annexation will clear the way for Microsoft to begin detailed planning for a multi-decade data center buildout on Cheyenne\u2019s southern edge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I think our city council is captured and doing the bidding of big tech. And it’s all lies that there will be a lot of local jobs, as Cheyenne is too small and a lot of workers and contractors come from out of state. The HVAC system in my home was installed by a company […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech","category-wyoming"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17698"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17709,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17698\/revisions\/17709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}