mat-su overruled the mayor

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly voted to override a veto from Mayor Edna DeVries, clearing the way for a partnership between the borough and Terra Energy Center Corporation to market public land for a large-scale data center or industrial facility.

DeVries vetoed the resolution after the Assembly had already approved it in a 5-to-2 vote. She said Terra Energy Center Corporation had not been fully vetted and that the partnership could expose the borough to risk, a concern that directly affects how public land in the Mat-Su gets used and who benefits from it.

Two weeks after the veto, the Assembly brought the resolution back and overrode it, with only one member voting against the override. That vote means the borough is now officially moving forward with the company to position the Mat-Su as a site for major tech infrastructure.

Supporters of the partnership point to construction jobs and long-term tax revenue that a data center could bring to the valley. Critics, including the mayor, have raised questions about energy use, public land and whether the company is the right partner for a project of this size. The disagreement between the mayor and the Assembly shows the decision remains contested even after the override.