Communities across the country are fighting to keep data centers out. Columbia County, Georgia, is hoping one moves in so it can eliminate residential property taxes. “The data center will produce more revenue when built and fleshed out,” Columbia County Board of Commissioners Chairman Doug Duncan said. “It’s going to take a couple of years, [but] it’ll produce more tax revenue than the homestead that comes from taxes in Columbia County. Our long-term objective with this is to eliminate the homestead tax.”  For the owner of the county’s median-priced home, valued at roughly $305,000, that could mean saving about $2,900 a year. Renters could also benefit if landlords pass those savings on through lower rents. Columbia County recently purchased almost 2,000 acres near an Amazon facility for the proposed data center. Officials estimate the project could generate $400 million in tax revenue. Duncan said the figure “boggles my mind because we have $100 million in a general fund. It’s hard for me to believe it’s that much.”  If the project is successful, Duncan said Columbia County would, to his knowledge, become the first county in the nation to eliminate residential property taxes.  On Thursday, President Donald Trump praised communities that welcome data centers. “You have communities that really want the data centers and, frankly, those are the smart communities,” Trump said. Trump explained data center construction creates “tremendous numbers of jobs” with “very little actual disruption,” and added that some communities are “begging for” the facilities because of the tax revenue they generate.  Other communities have not eliminated residential property taxes, but officials say data centers have significantly boosted local education budgets and teacher pay. A Redfin analysis found that Virginia’s two largest data center hubs, located in Loudoun County and Prince William County, have drastically outspent their neighboring counties on education over the past 15 years.  Teacher salaries in Loudoun County rose about 40% from 2010 to 2023. In neighboring Fairfax County, salaries rose about 29% to roughly $82,000.  Richland Parish, Louisiana, has reported similar benefits following Meta’s data center expansion. “Last year, our teachers received a $10,000 bonus, this year that check was over $50,000,” said Sheldon Jones, Superintendent of the Richland Parish School District. “It’s life-altering for our teachers and their families, and it’s transforming our schools.” “With bonuses like that, the best educators come to you. And if we can attract the best teachers, we could become one of the best school districts in our region.” Opposition to data centers isn’t partisan, with both sides of the aisle advocating for their demise. There are more than 300 local groups organizing against new facilities. Last week alone, organizers staged 142 protests across 42 states, citing concerns about water use, environmental impacts, and potential increased utility costs.