Assistant Mayor Tracey Tackett

Tomorrow, our community will come together to remember the 25th anniversary of September 11.

I hope people will take a little time to attend one of the ceremonies, pause, and remember what that day meant to so many people.

Twenty-five years later, we still remember the lives that were lost and the families whose lives were changed forever. We also remember the people who ran toward the danger—our police officers, firefighters, EMS and other first responders who showed incredible courage and selflessness.

One of the things I remember most about 9/11 is how, for a time, we seemed to put aside everything that divided us. We looked out for our neighbors. We stood together. We cared about one another.

I think that is something worth remembering, too.

Our first responders continue to show us what service looks like every day. They answer the calls, walk into difficult situations, and help people on some of the worst days of their lives.

As Assistant Mayor, I’m grateful for the men and women who serve our community—and tomorrow, I’ll be thinking about all those who made the ultimate sacrifice 25 years ago.

Please join me in remembering, honoring and standing together. 🇺🇸

Mayor Rob Rue presented a proclamation at last night’s City Commission meeting recognizing September 17 through 23, 2026, as Constitution Week in the City of Springfield.

Constitution Week commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, and recognizes the enduring importance of the document and the principles of American government it established.

City Commission encourages Springfield residents to reflect on the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the responsibilities we share as citizens.

Thank you to our proclamation recipients for joining us in recognizing Constitution Week!

“Another formerly elected Democrat thinks the Democrat should drop out against Jim Jordan and clear the way for an Independent challenger.

Mary Ellen Withrow, Democrat who served as Ohio Treasurer then US Treasurer under Bill Clinton on Independent Tracey Tackett. "

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A young man who did everything right is now gone.

Pierre Damas Bel was 20 years old, an honors graduate of Springfield High School, a JROTC lieutenant, a scholarship recipient, a varsity soccer player, and Wright State University student. Pierre came to our country legally to reunite with his family and pursue an education. He should have had a lifetime ahead of him.

After the federal government ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, ICE fitted Pierre with a GPS monitor on his ankle. Pierre’s family says he felt embarrassed, humiliated, and was bullied because of the device and believe he took his own life for this reason.

I know from experience there are not enough words or tears that can come close to consoling a parent or sibling after losing someone they love in such a way. I am praying for Pierre’s family, friends, teachers, classmates, teammates, and everyone in our community who loved him. I know this news has reopened old wounds for families who have endured a similar loss, and I am praying for you as well. I am praying for all of us.

It is too easy to forget, as Americans and as human beings, that we have a responsibility to one another. It is far too easy to forget, as an elected official, that our actions and inactions always come with consequences.

America was founded 250 years ago on the truth “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These rights are not granted to us by the government, but are inalienable and inherent to each man, woman, and child. That idea is what helped transform a backwater colony at the far edge of the world into the most powerful country on the Earth.

The United States of America has been and always will be the land of liberty, democracy, and opportunity. People around the world want to come here, and we are proud of that. Welcoming those people who share a common aspiration for that American dream is our heritage, our story, it’s what built this country, and it is proof to the world that freedom and democracy works.

America has a right and a duty to secure its border and enforce its immigration laws. It also has a duty to exercise good judgment, protect human dignity, and distinguish between dangerous criminals and law-abiding students, workers, and families. These responsibilities are not and do not have to be in conflict.

What occurred in Springfield this week reflects an ongoing failure of the government to live up to America’s founding ideals and its responsibilities to the people it serves. The U.S. House has already passed H.R. 1689, a bipartisan three-year extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, with the votes of Ohio Republicans. Governor Mike DeWine does not believe TPS should have been cancelled. I am asking Senators Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno to support the House-passed extension and press Senate leadership for an immediate vote.

I am also calling on the Department of Homeland Security to use its discretion to end ankle monitoring for students, workers, and people with no criminal record who arrived here legally, comply with check-ins and pose no demonstrated flight or public-safety risk.

Federal enforcement must not jeopardize the community trust that our police and first responders need to keep every resident safe. Springfield and communities across our country deserve order, safety, and respect, not more chaos and avoidable tragedy.

Beyond these immediate measures, Congress must at long last pass comprehensive immigration reform that fully secures the border, gives communities and employers stability and security, treats every human being with dignity, and restores order to our legal immigration system. Both parties have promised this reform for decades and neither has delivered it.

As Americans, we have a duty to our founders, to history, and to ourselves to remain a beacon of freedom, liberty, and opportunity to the world. We have a duty to prove that the American idea has not lost its power. We are all partners in the greatest 250-year project in human history. We inherited its promise, and we have a responsibility to recognize it, reaffirm it, and live up to it. Pierre should have had a lifetime to share in that promise. We cannot bring him back, but we can act before another family has to endure this grief.

–Tracey Tackett

If you ever need emotional support, call or text 988 anytime, 24/7, or visit 988Lifeline.org.

Let’s clear a few things up about data centers

I normally don’t feel the need to respond to every post that mentions my name, but when my name, my family and my campaign are being used to create a story, I think it’s fair to give people the other side.

First, the picture being used in the post was taken at a City Commission meeting while I was sitting at a table listening to a concerned citizen.

I was listening. That’s part of my job.

A picture captures one moment. It doesn’t explain what was happening before or after it, and it certainly doesn’t mean someone was standing there asking me questions that I refused to answer.

As for what happened outside the meeting, I was sitting in my vehicle with my husband. She was sitting at a table approximately 50 feet away. She did not approach my vehicle, and we did not have a conversation about the petition.

And no, I wasn’t taking her picture. My windows are tinted. So what someone believes they saw me doing with my phone from 50 feet away is just that — what they believed they saw.

But honestly, I don’t want to spend a lot of time on that. I’d rather talk about the actual issue.

Data centers.

I voted for the 5C data center project in December.

I’ve never hidden that. I stand behind my vote.

I also understand why people have questions. Data centers are something a lot of people have never had to think about before.

A data center is basically a facility that houses the computer servers and technology that power much of the digital world we use every day. Cloud storage, online banking, streaming, apps, business systems and increasingly artificial intelligence all depend on this infrastructure.

America is investing heavily in AI and technology, and that requires more data centers.

That doesn’t mean we should say yes to every project.

It means we need to ask the right questions.

How much water will it use?
How much electricity?
Who pays for the infrastructure?
What happens to our environment?
How many jobs does it bring?
What protections are in place?
And what happens if the developer doesn’t live up to its promises?

Those are the things I looked at when I made my decision.

And because I knew people had questions, I asked the City to put a fact sheet on the City’s website so residents could actually look at the information themselves.

I also shared what I learned with other elected officials and other communities before they made their own decisions. I wasn’t asking them to vote the way I did. I wanted them to have the information I had so they could make an informed decision for their own communities.

That’s how I believe government should work.

According to the City’s information, the 5C project has a maximum planned load of approximately 150 megawatts. The City says required grid upgrades are paid for by 5C rather than Springfield taxpayers.

There has also been a lot of discussion about water. The City’s FAQ explains that the frequently quoted 300,000 gallons per day is a theoretical maximum under extreme heat conditions, not normal everyday use, and that the project uses a closed-loop cooling system with water use subject to regulatory requirements.

The project is expected to create approximately 120 permanent full-time jobs, along with construction and indirect employment.

There are also permitting and emissions requirements for the backup generators, and the City says the necessary infrastructure and grid connections have to be in place and approved before the facility begins operations.

5C has also committed to sourcing at least 30% of its electricity from wind, solar and/or nuclear generation through power-purchase agreements with Ohio energy developers.

I’m not asking anyone to take my word for any of this.

Read it for yourself.

👉 City of Springfield — 5C Data Center FAQ⁠

And I didn’t just vote almost a year ago to put a center back in the same building where there was one before many years ago… and forget about it.

Just two weeks ago, I went with other community leaders to meet the owners and tour the center.

We went there to ask questions and follow up on the commitments that had been made.

I found them to be transparent, willing to answer questions and willing to address concerns.

Does that mean every concern has disappeared? No.

Does it mean everyone has to support the project? Absolutely not.

And here’s something else worth talking about.

Jim Jordan has also publicly talked about the importance of data centers and America’s need to compete in AI and technology. At the same time, he has talked about the importance of protecting communities when it comes to things like water, electricity rates, noise and where these facilities are located.

So I don’t think the conversation should simply be “Are you for or against data centers?”

The real question is:

How do we make sure data-center development is done responsibly and that our communities benefit without being left holding the bag?

That’s where I stand.

I support economic development.
I support good jobs.
I support America competing in new technology.
And I support environmental protections, transparency and accountability.

Those things can all exist at the same time.

One last thing about social media.

This is something I think we all need to remember.

Some people who create content on social media can make money based on the engagement their content generates. That doesn’t automatically mean someone is lying, but it does mean there can be an incentive to create content that gets people angry, keeps people commenting and encourages people to share.

So when you see a picture, my name in big letters, congressional hashtags and a caption designed to get people worked up, pause for a second.

Ask yourself: Am I being given information, or am I being encouraged to react?

And that goes for posts about me and everybody else.

Posting about me in a community group isn’t the same thing as having direct contact with me. I speak with citizens EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Look at the documents. Ask questions. Get the whole story. Then make up your own mind.

You don’t have to agree with me.

You can disagree with my vote. You can oppose the data center. You can sign a petition. You can criticize my position.

That’s democracy, and I’m okay with that.

What I’m not okay with is allowing a photograph, an assumption or a social-media narrative to become the “truth” simply because it gets a lot of attention.

I made an informed decision. I continue to ask questions. I continue to listen. And I will continue to stand behind my record.

That’s what I believe leadership should look like.

People Over Politics.
Facts Over Outrage.
Accountability Over Clicks.

Sign up to help by volunteering to knock doors at traceytackett.org.