Microsoft Drops $5 Million Incentive in Mount Pleasant

Microsoft has decided to forgo its $5 million development incentive in Mount Pleasant. The village will use this money to stabilize tax bills and fund capital projects, while the Racine Economic Development Corp. will receive $100,000 for county-wide economic development initiatives.

The move is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to build goodwill amid local pushback against data centers. Village officials plan to reduce the tax levy in 2027 and maintain village services, as well as cover capital project costs like rebuilding roads or buying police and fire vehicles.

Mount Pleasant village president David DeGroot said in a statement that 'taxpayers will benefit immediately, and will continue to benefit for years to come, because of the data centers Microsoft is building.'

This decision comes after Microsoft completed its first hyper-scale data center in Mount Pleasant and has another under construction. The company has already invested heavily in the area, with more than 550 workers at its facility.