Cheyenne petition fails to trigger Microsoft data center referendum

Cheyenne city officials ruled on November 10 that a citizen petition to halt a major annexation failed. The city determined the document lacked more than 900 valid signatures, meaning it did not reach the threshold required to force a voter referendum. The specific annexation involved 3,460 acres in southeast Cheyenne designated for a proposed Microsoft data center.

The petition drive began in August. Organizers collected nearly 3,300 signatures across 227 pages. City Clerk Kylie Soden explained that the initial review found 61 signatures invalid because they lacked a physical street address or listed a PO Box. Under state law, signers must be registered Cheyenne voters with a physical address. Soden noted that after removing those entries, the largest group of invalid signatures came from residents living outside city limits or those not on the Laramie County voter registry.

Heather Madrid, a resident leading the petition effort, cited Cheyenne Frontier Days as a complicating factor. The annual 10-day rodeo and western celebration coincided with the 20-day signature window. Madrid said the event brought in many out-of-town visitors, making it difficult to ensure only local registered voters signed. She stated that despite explaining the rules thoroughly, the influx of tourists made the process challenging.

Madrid expressed disappointment in the outcome, saying she had little trust in the city at this point. However, she indicated that the petition drive was only one part of a larger legal strategy. In September, she filed two separate petitions in Laramie County District Court. These legal actions seek to overturn the annexation ordinance and void the city council's handling of the referendum process.

Madrid argued that the city violated Wyoming’s Open Meetings Act. She pointed to an August 10 vote where the council sought a court ruling on whether annexations could be challenged by referendum. She stated her primary concern is the process the city used to approve the land, rather than the presence of data centers themselves. She believes voters should have the final say on such large expansions.

The city council authorized the city attorney to seek that court ruling three days after the petition was filed. The council voted 8-1 after an executive session to clarify conflicting state statutes. One statute allows residents to force referendums on city ordinances, while another sets a separate process for challenging annexations in district court. Mayor Patrick Collins said the governing body wanted to understand the correct way for residents to object.

Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who has since won Wyoming’s U.S. House seat, sent a letter to the mayor and council in August. Gray argued that state law gave residents the right to put the annexation to a vote. He described the mayor and council's actions as disturbing and advised the city to let the clerk finish verifying signatures instead of going to court. Gray wrote that the people of Wyoming remain concerned about data centers and asked officials not to abuse legal processes to bog down residents' constitutional rights.

Madrid plans to continue fighting the annexation and the alleged state law violations. She noted that her legal challenge is currently pending. The city has not yet issued a final response to Gray's letter regarding the petition shortfall.