MARSHALL, MI (WTVB) – Marshall police have launched an investigation after city council members received what they determined to be “credible” death threats tied to an ongoing dispute over a proposed data center.
Marshall Mayor Scott Wolfersberger confirmed that law enforcement alerted city officials to the safety risks on Thursday. Councilmember James Hackworth explicitly stated on social media that he and other members received a “legitimate death threat,” emphasizing that threatening violence crosses the line from legitimate democratic activism.
Councilmember Ryan Traver also addressed the threat on his social media, writing “we are neighbors first” and that council members, who are paid $300 a year for their service, “deserve better than this.”
The sudden hostile escalation has prompted municipal leaders to evaluate heightened security measures for upcoming city council meetings.
The threats follow a highly contentious unanimous vote by the Marshall City Council on August 3 to establish a one-year temporary moratorium on all new data center developments.
The 365-day pause was enacted to allow officials to evaluate the environmental and logistical strains of a 270-acre project proposed by Alterra Development at Brooks Industrial Park.
Residents have actively protested the site over concerns regarding massive electricity demands, low-frequency noise pollution, and potential ecological threats to nearby wetlands and water resources.
While city council members stressed that the moratorium was intended to grant time to strengthen regulatory ordinances rather than kill the project outright.
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