『Commissioner LeAnne Long: Data Centers, Back-Room Silence, and a Facebook-Fueled Uprising – Episode 72』のカバーアート

Commissioner LeAnne Long: Data Centers, Back-Room Silence, and a Facebook-Fueled Uprising – Episode 72

Commissioner LeAnne Long: Data Centers, Back-Room Silence, and a Facebook-Fueled Uprising – Episode 72

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 Data Centers, Communication, and the New Newton County ConversationIf you’ve been anywhere near Newton County or the handful of Facebook pages our there, the last few months, you’ve felt it: the volume is up, the stakes feel higher, and the words annexation, zoning, moratorium, and especially data centerare showing up in everyday conversations like they’ve always been part of the local vocabulary.They haven’t.And that’s part of why this episode matters.In Episode 72 of The Town Square Podcast, we sat down again with District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long for her second appearance—about a year after our last conversation. The unofficial theme this time? The good, the bad, and the ugly of public service in 2025… with a very specific emphasis on how communication (and yes, transparency) has become the battleground in Newton County’s growth debates.LeAnne doesn’t pretend to be everyone’s cup of tea. She’s blunt, high-energy, and unapologetically direct. But what’s impossible to miss is this: she’s been a major catalyst in getting regular citizens to pay attention again—especially around development pressure, annexation requests, and the rapid emergence of data center proposals.And love her approach or not, the impact is real.The “Good” in 2025: Citizens Woke UpLeAnne says her biggest accomplishment in 2025 isn’t a single vote or a flashy project—it’s engagement.Newton County isn’t a small city where everyone bumps into each other at the square and hears news by accident. District 5 includes large rural stretches, and people are busy living life outside the county for work, school, and schedules. That makes engagement harder—and it also makes “surprise outcomes” more likely.Her solution has been consistent: put information where people already are.That mostly means Facebook.She describes her approach as part public service, part community organizing, and part marketing. She posts often, posts long when she has to, and (this part matters) she engages in the comments. The goal isn’t to “win the internet.” The goal is to reduce misinformation and stop the rumor mill from setting the narrative first.A line that captures her mindset:“If you’re not telling your story, somebody else is going to tell your story.”This is the heartbeat of the episode: whether you like the method or not, she believes the people deserve the information early enough to respond.“My Style Doesn’t Work for Everybody” (And She Knows It)LeAnne doesn’t hide the fact that her style ruffles feathers. She’s not a “sugar-coater.” She chooses clarity over smoothness, and she’s willing to call out when conversations drift into personal attacks or off-topic narratives.Her reasoning is simple: vague communication is a breeding ground for confusion—and confusion is where mistrust thrives.She also admits she’s learned over time. She talked about the value of pausing, re-reading posts, deleting drafts, and listening to a trusted voice (including her daughter, who sometimes has to tell her to “take a chill”).So no—this isn’t a story of someone who thinks they’re perfect. It’s a story of someone who feels responsibility so intensely that it occasionally overwhelms them… and still shows up the next morning ready to keep going.The Flashpoint: Annexations + “Too Quiet” Data Center MovesA big chunk of the episode centers on two annexation situations connected to the City of Covington:The Falconwood annexation request on Highway 278A proposed data center tied to the Elks Club Road areaLeAnne’s concern wasn’t that the process was “illegal” or that someone was doing something shady. In fact, she repeatedly acknowledged that the city followed the steps correctly.Her frustration was this: the process can be “correct” and still be too quiet.Here’s what she was watching for:Citizens not finding out until late in the gameNo signage (because sometimes it isn’t required at that stage)Public discussion delayed until the moment of a voteThe fear that once something gets deep enough into the process (including potential state-level review), it becomes harder to stop—or even influenceShe explains that annexations often begin with a request to the city, followed by courtesy notification to the county. The county response is time-sensitive and not structured like a full public hearing where people can step up and speak.So her logic was: If the normal process doesn’t naturally “surface” the situation to the people early enough… then I will.That’s what kicked off the online storm.The Outcome: Covington Votes “No” (and the Clock Resets)LeAnne and the hosts note that both annexations were voted down by Covington City Council on January 20, 2026(as referenced in the conversation). That matters for two reasons:It reduced immediate pressure on those specific proposals.It validated the power of citizen engagement—people showed up, spoke, ...
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