A push to extend a moratiurm on data centers in unincorporated areas of Leavenworth County failed Wednesday, Aug. 5, paving the way for a massive data center to be built south of Tonganoxie.

The 90-day moratorium was set to end last week and Commissioners Mike Stieben proposed an extension of the moratorium on appliations through Jan. 31 with a resolution that MIke Smith seconded.

But fellow Commissioners Vanessa Reid, Willie Dove and Jeff Culbertson voted against the measure and it failed, 3-2.

Both Stieben and Smith will be leaving the board in January, as neither sought re-election. Smith instead pursued a run for Lieutenant Governor as running mate with gubernatorial candidate Stacy Rogers, but the team lost in last week’s primary as Ty Masterson and Jeff Klemp won the Republian primary for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. Stieben trailed Lance Neelly by 26 in the Kansas House 42nd race heading into canvassing today.

Culbertson also did not seek re-election, so his term will end in January.

Stieben and Smith favored extending the moratorium due to three new commissioners joining the governing body in a few months, but the other commissioners opted to let the moratorium expire before the new members join the comission in mid-January.

The next commssion meeting is set for 9 a.m. today at the Leavenworth County Courthouse.